Panhandling and homelessness is a difficult topic to cover, especially in the US. Everyone who lives in a city or large town has an opinion on the topic. Some people support panhandlers and throw some change to them, others vehemently ignore their existence simply because they can't tell if this is a person in genuine need of money or not. Unfortunately, some people exploit the kindness of others, and one panhandler, in particular, was caught red-handed...
A Difficult Sight to See
It's never easy to see someone down on their luck asking for money. Panhandling and homelessness is an epidemic in most cities and sprawling towns. Most folks feel like they have nowhere else to go but the streets, relying solely on the kindness of others. Those who are more fortunate are usually forced with the moral dilemma of helping these people out.
A Pregnant Mother and Her Son
Citizens of San Diego were familiar with a young homeless woman and her son on a popular street corner. Although many people tend to ignore panhandlers, this woman was in such a delicate and potentially dangerous situation that a lot of folks donated their pocket change to the small family...
Helping a Pregnant Woman
People tend to feel uncomfortable with a panhandler since it's nearly impossible to tell whether the situation is genuine. Is this person really looking for food and money, or do they just want some easy cash? Most people just tend to avert their eyes and drive right by, but this woman was having different luck. It looked like she was making a lot of money, too...
Familiar Face
As it turns out, this woman and her child were frequently out on the same corners asking people for money. People started getting acquainted with her and recognizing her. Melissa Smith was one woman who lived in the area and saw the small family every weekend for two months straight.
Melissa Smith
Melissa Smith found herself passing by the Eastlake Plaza Center often where the mother and her child were consistently. Melissa basically watched the woman's pregnancy progress as the weeks went on. She had even tossed the mother some change whenever she had a chance. To Melissa, it seemed like the mother was down on her luck and was trying to get back on her feet before her baby was born.
The Father
"I felt bad," Melissa told ABC News. "There's a pregnant lady with a little boy who is down on her luck." Melissa also noted that a man would sometimes stand with them. She assumed that he was probably at work when he wasn't out with the woman and the little boy and was helping them when he could. It broke her heart until she noticed something a bit weird...
At the Gas Station
One weekend, Melissa stopped by a gas station in the plaza filling up her car. She noticed the same woman with her son conducting business and usual. Melissa was standing next to her car as she waited for the gas to finish up as something caught her eye...
Rolling Up
Melissa was just about done when she noticed a brand-new Mercedes Benz pull up to the mother and her child. Melissa's initial thought was that they were going to donate, but the two people got inside the car instead. That seemed really bizarre... Something felt wrong. The woman obviously got into the car on her own free will, so who was in the car?
Going On Her Way
Melissa finished up pumping the gas and pulled out of the station. "Lo and behold, they were in front of us. Here they are counting money, laughing. Their little boy is not in a car seat or a seat belt. He's all the way in the front seat with them," she said in an interview about the encounter. She knew that something was up, and it was time to snap some pictures.
She Was Fuming
Something told Melissa that these were not honest people. She decided to follow the Benz into a McDonald's parking lot. The man driving the car dropped off the mother and her son and parked on the other side of the lot, just out of sight. Then, the mother pulled out her sign and told her son to sit on the grass next to her. The begging began once again...
Melissa Had the Time
Melissa didn't want her assumptions to be true. What kind of person could use their children to scam people out of money? It was such a horrible thought. So, Melissa said that she wanted to wait it out and see what their next moves were. She had nothing else to do that day besides random errands so she had the time to investigate...
Standing Watch
The family didn't stay long at the Mcdonald's. They weren't getting nearly as much traffic or money as they were at the other street corner. So, the Benz swooped around and picked up the woman and her child and they all went on their way. Melissa decided to follow them to their next location to really confirm her suspicions.
On The Move
The family went to yet another spot for panhandling and did the same exact thing. He dropped them off, he parked out of sight, and she collected money. "She sits there with the sign. He goes (and) parks the Mercedes. They put up the sign and not less than five minutes, here she is getting money from all these people," Melissa recalled.
Taking Pictures
Melissa was positive that these were not people who needed help. She decided to start documenting them and taking pictures, but apparently she wasn't enough of a sleuth to pull it off. The pregnant panhandler noticed her and got extremely upset over being photographed. Melissa wasn't prepared for what the small pregnant woman was about to do...
Getting Violent
"Next thing I know," Melissa recalls, "she picks up this big boulder… goes over her head, I don’t know if pregnant people can do that, but it was pretty big over her head and coming at me with this rock." Panhandlers are usually not ones to get violent, which was already a red flag. If she wasn't doing anything wrong, why would she have such a violent reaction to being photographed and filmed?
Calling The Police
Nearby eyewitnesses saw the escalating tensions and called the police. Melissa was doing her best to deescalate the situation, but it was no use. The pregnant panhandler's boyfriend started pulling up in the Mercedes when the police sirens began to ring out. "She grabs her little boy and takes off through the middle of the parking lot."
On The News
Melissa didn't want this woman to continue her scamming ways and make things harder for the people who were out there really struggling. She sent in her photos along with her story and the police report from the near-assault. Most San Diego locals knew of this woman well and were livid at the story. It was disheartening to see someone taking advantage of the kindness of others...
Rebecca Smith
A San Diego woman named Rebecca Smith happened to catch the news broadcast about the pregnant panhandler. Soon after, Rebecca went to a local shopping center and saw the panhandling woman with her son and a newborn baby. This time, they were dressed in nice clothing, no sign in sight. Rebecca immediately called in a tip to the news...
Emily Valdez Is on the Scene
Reporter Emily Valdez was the one who picked up the tip and rushed over to the supermarket. Luckily, Emily was prepared for what was going down. She already had the photo of the panhandler ready to go. She and her cameraman jumped onto the scene and saw the woman just as she was leaving the store...
The Confrontation
When Emily showed her the photo that was taken, the panhandler immediately said, "No speak English," in a Spanish accent. Obviously, this was a lie. It was made apparent that she was shouting in English at Melissa in the police report. The panhandler scammer wasn't counting on the fact that Emily also spoke Spanish...
The Partner Pulls Up
Not soon after Emily started questioning the woman, her partner came out of the grocery store. She then turned to him and asked him about the situation in Spanish. The man responded and claimed that he had no idea what she was talking about. The couple began talking to each other in another language that Emily couldn't pick up on, and then, they fled the scene...
Taking Off
The family took off, but Emily wasn't about to let them go. Instead, she and her cameraman quickly followed behind them. She saw them pile inside of a minivan, not a Mercedes Benz. She also noted that the parents didn't buckle in the newborn or the child before speeding off...
Facial Recognition
Emily Valdez decided to take her footage and Melissa's footage to a facial recognition expert. After looking through the pieces of media, the expert believes that there was an 80% match between the two. This was the same family, she was sure of it...
Even More Comparisons
If seeing her face wasn't enough, her outfit was the same, too. It looked like the women were wearing the same (or similar) pants and the same pair of shoes. This was definitely the fraudulent panhandler, but what was going on here?
More Investigating
Since Melissa ended up getting a very clear picture of the license plate, the police were able to do some investigating. They didn't turn up much, but the plate itself was registered to a young woman who lived close to the original location of the panhandling. The apartment unit that she was renting went for $2,500 per month...
Going Viral
It only made sense for this video to go viral. It didn't take long for Youtube videos of the newscast to spread all over the internet. The original video had been viewed over 6 million times in just a couple of months. Many viewers were filled with outrage, taking both sides. Some believed that the pregnant panhandler was the victim, others thought that the victims were real panhandlers.
They Haven't Been Seen Again
Since the incident, the family hasn't been seen. Neighbors who live at the apartment complex have said that the family moved away soon after everything went viral. There haven't been any answers since the debacle. The conversation around panhandling became a popular debate since the viral issue, especially about fake panhandlers. After all, this woman is the reason why most people are hesitant to help out those in need on the street.
Nation-Wide Issue
Most panhandlers don't have much to their name. Not all panhandlers are homeless or jobless, but a good portion of them are. In fact, most panhandlers don't make much more than $25 a day. 94% of panhandlers use the money on food, not drugs and alcohol as most people assume.
Scammers
It only takes one bad egg to make the whole bunch bad. There have been many instances of panhandlers who basically scam their way into livable wages. In 2014, a couple from Sacramento had made $350 in one recorded day. They weren't paying taxes or declaring this money as a wage, so it was illegal. Plus, they were already living pretty. They didn't need the money!
It's a Hard Way of Life
In 2001, the city of Toronto interviewed panhandlers. 70% of them claimed that they would rather be working a minimum-wage job than begging for money. The average income from begging was around $300 per month. Most of the people interviewed were unable to find a job due to mental and physical health issues.
Passive Panhandlers
If you've never been to a large city before, there's a good chance you haven't seen someone begging for money. It's easy to spot a panhandler. Usually, they have a sign talking about their situation or just asking for any sort of help. Other times, they'll come up to your car at stoplights with a cup for change. Most of them are quite passive and will move on if you show any sort of disinterest in them.
Most Cops Let It Slide
If anyone gets aggressive during something like this, there are usually repercussions. Most of the time, people who are panhandling just want to reach as many people as possible, so spending more time to get aggressive with someone is just a waste of time. They aren't people to be feared.
Panhandling is Legal and Protected
Panhandling is protected by the First Amendment as a part of the Supreme Court's Free Speech Absolutism. Some people want to think that it's "disturbing the peace" or breaking the law but that's not the truth. In fact, these are just people who are desperate to survive.