When a Massachusetts police officer saw five days before Christmas trying to steal two women from a grocery store, their distress touched his heart.
“It was all food,” he remarked.
NORTH CAROLINA RESTAURANT RECEIVES $ 1G ‘HOLIDAY ANGEL’ TIP
So instead of arresting them, he buys a $ 250 gift card to pay for their Christmas dinner.
Somerset police officer Matt Lima said he was responding to a call at the local Stop & Shop and was told the women had been caught skipping the scanner at the cash register and putting various items straight into their suitcases has. The suspected shoplifters were with two young children.
“I have two girls myself, similar to the age of the two girls who were there. It hit me a little bit,” Lima told local NBC branch WJAR.
He was further moved when he learned that the mother of the children had no job, and that the food they were stealing was for their holiday meal.
“There was nothing else there, like health and beauty products, shampoo, and stuff like that. It was all food,” he said. “I was just trying to put myself in that family’s shoes and show a little empathy.”
The store issued the women a ‘no offense’ order.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Somerset police chief George McNeil praised the officer in a statement that the incident was true evidence of Officer Lima’s great character and decision making. ‘