Officers Give Holiday Help to Mother After She Allegedly Shoplifted to Feed Her Children
Utah police officers decided to help a shoplifting suspect.
— -- Police officers in Orem, Utah, decided to give some holiday help to a mother after she was stopped for allegedly shoplifting earlier this month.
Rebecca Freemont was originally detained earlier month after she allegedly shoplifted groceries. However, when Orem Police arrived they found she was suspected of taking only essential food items, according to ABC News affiliate KTVX-TV.
"This was totally different... It felt wrong not to help," Jared Goulding, an officer who responded to the shoplifting call, told KTVX-TV.
To help Freemont and her family, the officers have raised money through the Sub for Santa program.
"There wasn't any type of TV or entertainment, nothing on the walls. The only thing as far as decoration was a picture of a Christmas tree that looked like the kids had kind of colored on," Goulding told KTVX-TV of Freemont's apartment before they brought in new supplies.
This week just in time for the holidays the officers returned to Freemont's home with gifts, a Christmas tree and even stockings.
They also brought essentials that the family lacked.
"They offered to do all this, and I had no idea it would be this much. It's amazing," Freemont told KTVX, saying the officers even brought towels that were needed.
Calls to Freemont and the Orem Police Department were not immediately returned to ABC News.
Freemont's daughter Jasmine said she had been concerned over what the family could afford to do for Christmas.
"Every day, I was like thinking, 'What are we going to do for Christmas?' and then they came," Jasmine told KTVX.
Although the store where Freemont was caught allegedly shoplifting could still press charges, she currently does not face any charges, according to KTVX.
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