Officer Goes Above and Beyond For a Mother of 6 Caught Shoplifting

A Kansas City police officer showed some serious compassion last Monday when Sarah Robinson, a mother of six, went into a Walmart with the intention of shoplifting diapers, wipes, and shoes for her daughters but was caught by the manager. Officer Mark Engravalle cited the woman but couldn't bring himself to arrest her, as her children were all crying and shoeless — instead, he spent $300 of his own money to get the girls shoes and diapers.

On the day of the shoplifting, her twin 2-year-old daughters were in very full diapers, and seeing as she had no money, she and her 12-year-old daughter went into the Walmart to steal some. Robinson, who says she is embarrassed by her actions but couldn't think of anything else to do, has been struggling to support her six kids, ranging in age from 2 to 16, since her husband passed away in 2011.

Officer Engravalle, a father of two, says, "What she did was wrong, but I think her heart was in the right place with wanting to take care of her children."

The officer chose to make a decision that day to cite Robinson and help her family, rather than take her to prison, a decision that some may disagree with but ultimately is a heartwarming gesture.

Robinson will still need to appear in court, and the family that was at one point living in a car must now find somewhere stable to live, but thanks to Officer Engravalle and the kindness of others — $6,000 has been raised for Robinson and her children by a local radio station — she is not losing her girls and can try to get back on her feet.