Police help teenager accused of shoplifting gifts to give to little sister

CHARLESTON, WVa. — He said he was just trying to get Christmas presents for his little sister. It was how the 15-year-old was going about getting them that could have landed him in police custody. Instead, police came to the teen’s aid to provide for his family.

Police officers Brandon Rinehart and James Smith, with the Charleston, West Virginia police department, went to a local Kmart in response to a shoplifting call.

Eventually, Rinehart and Smith found the alleged shoplifter.

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According to WCHS, the teen, who was not identified, was found to have taken some toys. Police found out they were gifts he was planning to give to his sister for Christmas.

The officers took the teen back to the store, where he returned the items and apologized to store officials, WCHS reported Sunday.

Then Rinehart and Smith decided to spread the Christmas spirit. They bought the toys the teen had taken, saying that while it was wrong for him to take the items, he did it for a good reason.

"We deal with so many people, we could tell genuineness and where it came from, from him. We could tell he was just a kid, lost. He didn't have anyone to support him, so we figured we'd do it," Smith told WCHS.

Cox Media Group