Dear Friend,

As a mother, I’ve always cherished the holidays… but this year feels painfully different. Please, I’m asking you to read this entire message...because what my family is going through right now is something no mother should ever face.

Because this year… my son Salvatore and his wife are just trying to hold it together.

Instead of preparing for Christmas morning with their two young kids, they’re preparing for a trial—one that could tear their family apart.

This is why I am reaching out to you today. Salvatore needs help—real help—to afford the legal defense that could mean the difference between clearing his name or losing everything he has worked for. If you’re able, please consider making a donation to support him. It would mean the world to our family.

My name is Barbara, and I’m writing to you with a mother’s broken heart.

My son, Officer Salvatore Oldrati, is a hero. A third-generation police officer who wanted to serve and protect from the time he was four years old. 

A man who grew up seeing the impact of violent crime firsthand and committed his life to being the one who runs toward danger so others don’t have to.

And on September 14, 2021, that’s exactly what he did.

Police received a frantic 911 call about a burglary in progress—two suspects, one reportedly armed. When officers arrived, they were confronted by a man pointing a gun at them. 

That moment, captured on the 911 recording, left my son with mere seconds to make the kind of decision no parent ever wants their child to face.

He did what he was trained to do. He did what he had to do to protect his life and his fellow officer’s life.

And after the threat was stopped, my son—terrified—began life-saving measures on the very man who had pointed a gun at him.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the State Police investigated everything. They cleared Salvatore completely. His actions were justified. Proper. Lawful. He returned to duty. He was promoted. He was honored as Officer of the Year—twice.

But none of that mattered. Twenty months later, in May 2023, the Attorney General’s office—ignoring its own policy, withholding exculpatory evidence, and manipulating a grand jury—wrongfully indicted my son for 2nd-degree reckless manslaughter.

This fight is overwhelming—emotionally, spiritually, and financially. That’s why I’m asking, from the bottom of my heart: if you’re able, would you please consider making a donation to help Salvatore defend himself and provide stability for his young family during this nightmare? Your kindness truly makes a difference.

A decorated officer. A devoted husband. A loving father of two little ones who don’t understand why Daddy is always in meetings with lawyers… or why Mommy cries when she thinks they’re not looking.

His trial is expected early next year, and the truth is… the financial strain is crushing them.

His family expenses. His legal defense. The endless costs that come when a good officer is targeted for political reasons instead of the truth.

As a mother, watching your child—no matter how grown—suffer like this is unbearable.

All I want for Christmas is for my son to have a fair chance to defend himself. To clear his name.
To be there to tuck his children into bed every night.
To live the life he earned through a decade of honorable, courageous service.

That is why I am begging you—from one human being to another—to help.

Will you please make a donation to support Salvatore’s legal defense and help his family through this nightmare?

Anything you can give—no matter the amount—will go toward helping Salvatore fight these unjust charges and supporting his wife and their children during the hardest season of their lives.

This should be a time of joy, gratitude, and hope.

But they can’t do this alone.

Thank you for taking the time to read my son’s story. And thank you for standing with him when so many have turned their backs on good officers who make impossible decisions to keep their communities safe.

From the bottom of my heart… God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

With love,
Barbara Oldrati
Mother of Salvatore Oldrati

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