Officer Matt Lima of the Somerset Police Department said he responded to a call at the local Stop & Shop and was told the women had been caught skipping the scanner at the self-checkout line, putting several items straight into their bags. The suspected shoplifters were with two young children.
"I have two girls myself, similar in age to the two girls that were there, so it kind of struck me a little bit," Lima told local NBC affiliate WJAR.
He was further moved when he learned that the mother of the kids had no job, and the food they were stealing was for their holiday dinner.