For two Liberty County sheriff’s deputies it was just a routine dinner break at a Hinesville restaurant — that is, until they went to settle the bill and learned their meal was paid for by an anonymous citizen who simply wrote on the receipt, "Blue Lives Matter, Thank You,” which touched both men deeply.

The deputies, who declined to be identified, were having their dinner break at El Cazador Mexican Restaurant on Willowbrook Drive. When the officers went to pay for their meal, they were surprised to learn their bill was paid for by a woman who checked out before them.

According to one of the deputies, "The ticket was at the register when we went up to pay, and the waitress showed us the ticket and said that a lady that had just left, paid for our meal and left this on the ticket, ‘Blue lives matter, thank you.’"

The deputy went on to add that it's not unusual for people to pay for their meals out of appreciation for their service to their community. 

"It's happened more now lately then before, and it just feels nice to know that we are appreciated by the citizens,” he said. “This is the first time that anyone had ever left a note. It was a real positive feeling, especially when someone doesn't stand by to receive credit for doing something nice. That's a very unselfish act."