A routine shoplifting investigation gave way to tenderness after a police officer learned what a woman had stolen-and why.
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According to WMUR, Officer Michael Kotsonis of Portsmith, New Hampshire was called to Ocean State Job Lots for a report regarding a shoplifter who got away.
“She apologized and said the only reason she did it was because it was her son’s birthday and she just wanted to make him a birthday cake”, Sargent said.
But when Officer Kotsonis found out that the woman had taken little more than some Crisco and vanilla frosting-what she said were ingredients for a cake for her daughter’s birthday-he knew what he had to do.
“I didn’t do it for the attention”, Kotsonis said Tuesday.
“In his own words, he didn’t want to see the child go without a birthday cake based on [the woman’s] actions”, Sargent said.
Kotsonis, a 19-year veteran of the city’s police force, then brought the items back to the manager and bought them for the mother.
Kotsonis said he was not seeking praise with his gesture.
Acting Deputy Police Chief Frank Warchol praised the officer’s actions.
Kotsonis’ kindness did not stop at buying cake ingredients.
What happened next shocked the store employees and the shoplifter.
A store employee informed the newspaper of Kotsonis’ deed, describing it as “the kindest thing in the entire world”.
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The woman was not arrested.
