call, five years ago, a california police officer helped a homeless boy get off the streets. well, that boy is of course now a man and headed off to college. cnn s camilla bernal has more on the meeting that changed both of their lives. reporter: a typical 17-year-old and a typical summer workout. but five years ago, alex rosario s life was anything but. i knew i was homeless. i knew i didn t have shoes for a shelter or a place to call home. reporter: something that the starbucks employees in escondido noticed. they informed me that there was a young boy that would hang out at the store until they closed and they would notice that he would go across the street and would be alone at the jack in the box. reporter: then officer john larson found alex alone. i just put myself out with dispatch and went to go contact him. just started chatting with him. told him he wasn t in trouble. reporter: a conversation they would potato both remember for o come. what s up, bud?
hi! reporter: officer larson knew alex needed help. i know times are tough reporter: he dropped him off with child welfare services, but confidentiality rules prevented him from keeping in touch. once he was out of my hands, i called multiple times, different months, to see if i got lucky and got slipped through the cracks. reporter: but officer larson never gave up. how s family? family s been good right now. reporter: last december, another member of the police department found alex and gave officer larson the good news. i like started to tear up. oh, my god, i can t believe it. reporter: after five years, the two met for lunch for another unforgettable conversation. it felt pretty surreal, since i didn t expect officer larsons to try to find me. reporter: not only did he find him when i met you, you were already in middle school, right? reporter: he attended alex s high school graduation, a barbecue with his foster family, and promised a forever f