Mother of the Year: Georgia Woman Prompts 7-Year-Old Daughter to Steal Purse

Union City, Georgia's own Kenya Butler is surely a candidate for Mother of the Year after allegedly "encouraging" her seven-year-old daughter to steal an unattended purse in a restaurant called The Juicy Crab. After the theft, Butler, her children, and an unnamed male accomplice skipped out on a $500 tab.

Kenya Butler, 28, of Union City has been taken into custody for a March 2 incident at The Juicy Crab in Newnan. Police say she is seen on video telling her 7-year-old daughter to take the bag from a booth.
"After the story aired in the media, we were able to identify Kenya Butler as the offender in this case," Det. Taylor Dalton of the Newnan Police Department told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Butler is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and theft by taking, both misdemeanors, police confirmed to Fox News Digital. Her 7-year-old daughter is not in any trouble.

Georgia mom arrested for allegedly encouraging 7-year-old daughter to snatch purse at restaurant https://t.co/c9vnRYQBXD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 20, 2024

We should hope the daughter is in no trouble, as she's well below the age to have any agency in this matter; she was doing what her mother told her to do, and at that age, that's to be expected, especially as one would suspect that Kenya Butler probably hasn't gone to any great length to instill values of right vs. wrong in her offspring.

One suspects that Kenya Butler hasn't gone to any great lengths to instill the values of paying one's restaurant tab, either.

Police say the mom of three declined to comment on why she allegedly told her daughter to do it, and that the group with her quickly left the restaurant after the purse was taken, skipping out on a more than $500 bill.
Investigators are looking to speak with a man they say is responsible for the bill, seen on video wearing a white shirt with the words "Fake love, rich sex." The man has tattoos on both his arms. Anyone who can identify him is asked to call the Newnan Police Department.

The thievery was captured on a security camera:

There's quite a litany of dysfunctional adult behaviors here. It's not fair to hold the child to account for any of this, although it's concerning to consider the example this young girl has had set for her. But the adults; the casual opportunistic theft of someone else's property, the enlistment of a child to commit the theft, the callous disregard for the person they are stealing from — all present a pretty shocking portrait of someone who has pretty much abandoned a whole pile of societal norms.

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Two misdemeanor charges, one would think, will probably result in a fine and some community service. But here's the rub: What will be done about Kenya Butler's children? These kids are in serious danger of retaining their mother's callous disregard for the rights and properties of others; this is a cycle that needs to be broken, and it's a cycle that is repeating itself, over and over.