Police officer Mark Engravalle was responding to a routine shoplifting call from Walmart when he encountered a situation that was “unthinkable and unspeakable.” In the city of Roeland Park, Kansas, Engravalle found a distraught Sarah Robinson and her 15-year old daughter in the back office of the Walmart. As it turns out, the two women were caught trying to steal nearly $300 worth of merchandise that included shoes and diapers, according to the Prairie Village Post. It was then that the officer noticed Robinson’s three little children, a four-year-old and two-year-old twins: they weren’t wearing shoes and their feet were filthy.
Engravalle said that as a police officer, it was a terrible thing to see, but as a parent and a human being, it was “absolutely heartbreaking.” He told “People” that you never anticipate seeing human beings in such dire need of basic care and necessities. The officer added that he thought of his own young children and felt compelled to act. “I asked her 15-year-old daughter if she could take the two 2-year-olds and the 4-year-old and go pick out shoes,” he says. While he left the family with another police officer, Engravalle went and purchased baby wipes and diapers, two of the items that the family had been trying to steal.
The empathetic police officer said that when he was walking towards the woman with the wipes, nothing even needed to be said. He said that Robinson was crying and he himself had tears in his eyes. It should be noted that Engravalle did still cite her for shoplifting and gave her notice to appear in court for her penalty to be decided. However, something happened next that sent everyone reeling in surprise. After word of Engravalle’s good deed received national attention, donations for Robinson and her family began to pour in. In fact, the Roeland Park Police received 500 calls from people who wanted to help the family.
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The calls came from 16 different states and even the country of Switzerland. Robinson says that to her, “it’s unreal.” She says that she can’t put into words how much she appreciates all of the help and kindness people are extending to her. At the time of the shoplifting incident, the family was homeless and spent most of their time in their car. She says that without Engravalle, she and her children would still be hungry. Watch the news video below.
