Life can be hard on people and, when things get too rough, some of them find a last resort of surviving in panhandling. Some might say “it’s the capitalism, stupid”, but we’re not into politics here – rather an unusual event that took place in California.
Melissa Smith was at the Eastlake Village Center when she saw a pregnant woman holding a “Please, Help” sign with a young boy at her feet. “Lots of people gave them money”, Smith said. “Probably five people in five minutes”, she added.
That, in itself, is normal. As Smith went to put some gas into her car, though, she was gob smacked to witness both mother and son leave their spot and drive away in the woman’s boyfriend (husband?) Mercedes-Benz!
Although the enraged woman told KGTV that “it’s not even used, not old, it’s a new Benz”, said vehicle is actually an older C320 E320, a car priced over US$45k when new. Still a hot set of wheels given the circumstances, one has to admit.
Ms Smith was so outraged that she got into her own car and followed the Merc, taking pictures of it: “They were in front of us. Here they are counting money, laughing, and their little boy is not in a car seat or seat belt. He’s all the way in the front seat with them.
Then the E-Class stopped in a shopping plaza on Bonita Road, where the pregnant woman took out the sign and started begging in front of a McDonald’s fast food restaurant. Smith started taking pictures again “so can show my friends so they don’t give them their money. They don’t need it. They are driving a Benz”. When the pregnant woman eventually noticed her, Smith says that she started shouting at her.
According to KGTV, the vehicle is registered to a woman that lives in an apartment complex address where rent goes around US$2,500 per month. When they investigated, people at the complex told them that said couple had moved on recently without leaving their new address.
By Andrew Tsaousis