Taking care of a family is hard on its own. But when youโre struggling financially it makes things even more difficult, and a parent might make poor choices if it means putting food on their table.
A couple of women from Somerset, Massachusetts decided to steal in order to feed their family a special meal.
It was just five days before Christmas when the ladies headed into a grocery store with a couple of kids.
While there, they made a bad decision and the police were called.
Officer Matt Lima, from the Somerset Police Department, was sent out to handle the shoplifting incident, which took place at a local Stop & Shop.
The officer was available and close enough that he could immediately speed over to lend a hand.
Since it was close to Christmas, he must have expected that someone was being reported for stealing health and beauty supplies right before the holidays. Or perhaps other items that could be given as gifts.
Once there, Officer Lima discovered that wasnโt the case.
Lima spoke to an asset protection associate who claimed to have witnessed two women with two young children shoplifting. The associate said they used the self-check-out line and were only ringing up some of their purchases. Theyโd put other items in bags without scanning them.
Lima caught up to the women before they left the parking lot and checked their receipts, finding out the associate was correct. Both women were asked to wait inside while another associate kept the children busy so they wouldnโt hear what was going on.
The women told Officer Lima a story he wouldnโt forget.
Officer Lima had been on shoplifting cases before and he might have expected the women to double down and claim it was all a mistake. But they broke down crying and explained that they had fallen down on hard times in 2020.
He told WJAR:
โThe woman I talked to, she explained she was working, but the mother of the children was not working and had some other family issues going on and that what she had taken was Christmas dinner for the kids.โ
They couldnโt afford to give their children a nice Christmas dinner and saw no other option.
Officer Lima could tell they were being honest when he took another look at the receipts and the stolen items.
โThere was nothing else on there like health and beauty items, shampoo, anything like that, It was all food.โ
Officer Lima was touched by their story.
Officer Lima believed them, because he knew how hard the yearโs events had hit the country. Millions of Americans fell on hard times with unemployment rates rising as high as 14.7% back in April 2020. So he could believe that these women were good people who made the hard choice in a terrible situation.
He could also see himself in the exact same situation. He said:
โI have two girls myself, similar in age to the two girls who were there. So it kind of struck me a little bit.โ
So Officer Lima did something incredibly kind.
The officer didnโt arrest the women and he talked with the store and convinced them to not press charges. He did warn them to not trespass at the location. Letting the shoplifters go was extraordinary enough, but then he took it one step further.
He went into the store and purchased a $250 gift card and gave it to the women so they could buy what they needed from another store without the children being the wiser.
Officer Lima explained his actions to WJAR, saying:
โI just did what I felt was right. Itโs not about me, I just tried to put myself in that familyโs shoes and show a little bit of empathy.โ
The officerโs act of kindness didnโt go unnoticed, and itโs warmed hearts across the nation. Especially during this joyous season, we should all be doing what we can to help others.
Watch the video below to see more on this beautiful act of kindness!
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Source: WJAR, YouTube โ WPTV News โ FL Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast
