An outraged viewer contacted her local San Diego news station after she watched a pregnant woman panhandling for money in a shopping center’s parking lot… then drive away in a man’s shiny Mercedes Benz, laughing.
Melissa Smith caught the whole thing all on camera. She took photos of the beggar, the boy, and the Benz. Smith said she had seen the pregnant woman and the boy, who might have been the woman’s son, at the shopping center every weekend for two months. She said the woman’s husband or boyfriend would sometimes join them.
The internet was left divided. Some viewers think it’s wrong for viewers to jump to conclusions. One YouTube commenter says, “First of all, its just a Mercedes… you can buy that particular model for less than 5,000 on eBay and Craigslist. Why are people so impressed of a Mercedes Benz? They could still be struggling.”
But many others believe this unnamed woman deserves all the flack in the world. Another commenter writes, “It’s not about what model the Mercedes they’re driving or how much it’s worth. The fact that they have a very capable body, vision, non-impaired pair of hands, legs, and many other ways to earn an honest living besides begging and exploiting stranger’s kindness. The general conception of beggars is that you won’t have the means to own and operate a personal vehicle…”
While the woman didn’t technically break any laws, there’s a good chance she’s a con artist who defrauded generous, well-intentioned people — and taught a child that it’s OK to scam others in the process.
Footage provided by KGTV San Diego
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