This compassionate cop deserves a hug for the work he does and how he helped this family in their time of need! Roeland Police Officer Mark Engravalle recently responded to a shoplifting complaint at a Walmart store in Roeland Park, Kansas. Upon arriving at the store, he saw a mother and her six children, crying and distressed.
He noticed that three of the kids were not wearing shoes and had dirty feet. After talking to the mom named Sarah, he learned that her husband died in an accident four years ago and she had been struggling to survive ever since.
Pushed to the limit, she and her oldest daughter stole $300 worth of diapers, children’s shoes, baby wipes, and other items her children desperately needed from the store.
Officer Engravalle has kids of his own, and his heart told him to do something other than arrest her. “Walmart might see her as a criminal, but I just saw her as a mom going through a really difficult time,” he said. So, he wrote Sarah a minor ticket for shoplifting and then went into the Walmart and paid her grocery bill with his own money!
His generous act snowballed from there. Roeland Park police set up a help line to take donations for Sarah and her family, and got an overwhelming response. One local radio station raised $6,000 alone for Sarah and her family!
Sarah said she’s overwhelmed with gratitude for Officer Engravalle and how he helped her when she had no one else to turn to. No wonder the officer and the mom exchanged tears afterwards.
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