Human Interest Story

[David Lockmiller]

Police posted a photo of a man they say stole diapers from Walmart. Strangers across the country came to his defense.

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Images posted by the Winter Haven Police Department showed the man on Sept. 15 walking through Walmart with two young children, one cradled in his right arm and the other holding his left hand.

At a self-checkout, he tried to use two credit cards to pay for diapers — both were declined, police said. He left the store with the kids at one point but quickly returned on his own and wheeled out the items in a cart without paying, they said.

Fiedler, who is 16 and lives in Johnson County, Kan., said she felt sadness for the man in the photo and decided to leave a comment on Facebook.

“Doubt I will get a response, but I will pay for these items as long as you leave this man alone,” she wrote that same day.

Her comment was soon liked by more than 4,000 people. Fiedler wasn’t alone in her outrage.