Kansas Police Officer Pays For Struggling Mother’s Shoplifted Baby Wipes And Diapers

Sarah Robinson, a mother of six, was left in tears after an officer caught her shoplifting baby wipes and diapers from a Walmart store. Robinson thought she was going to be thrown in jail and be separated from her girls, but what the officer did wasn’t what she expected.

Robinson stated that she was running out of diapers for her 2-year-old twins. Sarah was left to take care of her six daughters after the tragic death of her husband in a drowning incident in 2011. ABC News reports that she is now homeless and doesn’t have a job to support her children.

“So I went to Walmart, grabbed clothes, shoes, diapers, wipes, and I just walked out, but they caught me.”

Robinson and her kids have been living out of their car, and some of the children had dirty feet. When responding Roeland Park police officer Mark Engravalle arrived at the scene, he saw the children and immediately asked what Sarah’s current situation was. He also noticed that all the things Robinson stole were necessities for the children. Sarah was brought to tears and Engravalle didn’t think twice about doing what he thought was right.

“I didn’t give it a second thought. I just wanted to do right by the children.”

Mark Engravalle then went inside Walmart with the kids and bought them all their needs. He even made them pick out the shoes that they liked. The Kansan police officer paid for everything out of his own pockets.

Sarah couldn’t have been more thankful of Engravalle.

“He couldn’t have been nicer to my girls. And then I got a call the next day saying they wanted to help us further and help us get a place to live.”

The incident happened on Monday, and since then, the story of the police officer’s kindness has spread and was greeted by positive public response. People who heard of her story want to help her out and give her the opportunity to provide for her children, Kansas City Star reports.

Apparently, Engravalle had two children of his own, which made him sympathetic of the widow’s situation.

“There isn’t enough words in the world to thank him enough. Me and my girls are indebted to him forever.”

Sarah and her six children are currently living in hotel while they don’t have a home to move into yet. Donations are pouring in through the police department, and people who are willing to help are welcome to drop by the station to bring goods for the family.

“I’m so appreciative. I’m embarrassed that I was stealing, but it couldn’t go to more deserving girls.”

Sarah is also looking for a job and she says that she is good with computers and is bilingual (she speaks English and Spanish).

[Image via Kansas City Star]