Panhandlers seeking money to bury dead child called hoaxers, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials warn

Authorities in San Bernardino County warned residents Thursday to beware of panhandlers asking for donations to bury a dead child.

County sheriff’s officials arrested a 19-year-old transient last weekend near the Ontario Mills mall in Rancho Cucamonga after she and another suspect carried around a large picture of a child and told passersby they needed funeral donations.

Carolyne Mathis was arrested on suspicion of panhandling after investigators determined she did not have a child. She was accompanied by an unidentified man in his late 20s, who would periodically come by and empty the money out of large plastic jar where Mathis kept the donations.

“It is suspected that there may be other suspects using the same scam to collect money in other local cities," sheriff’s officials said in a statement.

-- Phil Willon in Riverside

Comments

[Jim]

Watch out for the woman in the I-10 and Euclid ave area in upland, she claims to be have cancer, what I do see is a very tan shaved head with thick razor stubble.

[Lyndi Torres]

There was another family on the corner of Azusa and Arrow Highway Friday night (08/27/10) doing the same thing for and infant who looked about 5-7 months old, they were asking for doantions. There were 4 people a girl who looked about 12-14 a boy that looked in his late teens early 20s another man who looked in his 30s and an older woman who looked in mid 40s to early 50s. Whether they were telling the truth only god knows. If they really did need the funds myself and others gave them god blees them, if not they should be ashamed of themselves for using that baby picture.

[hojo]

Check out the guys in front of a Ohana Hawaiian BBQ joint on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena. One (older gentleman) pretends to be blind on a walker and the other is supposedly his nephew. Fakers

[Auzziegirl]

Saw the same team on the corner of Arrow Hwy. and Azusa Ave. last Friday evening on the way home from work (between 4:00 & 5:00 p.m.). The thought crossed my mind that this might be a scam. There were about 4 or 5 people all holding signs with a large photo of a baby asking for "funeral" donations.

[HippiShake]

there is a couple of black women (young, about their late teens, early 20s) walking around the Super Wal-Mart in Moreno Valley asking for donations to help "their brother whose baby just died." They supposedly need money for the funeral. I have seen them there at least 4 times in the last 3 weeks...

[DOUG]

Thats just wrong

[Mario C.]

@hojo - At the Glendale Galleria (outside the center exit, between the Galleria and the Americana) I've seen an older gentlemen that's supposed to be blind and he was there with "his wife," and she was doing the asking. I wonder if it's the same guy?

[Mark Blocker]

Careful of the guy disheveled guy who smells like lighter fluid on skid row. He claims to be an alcoholic bum. I gave him 10 bucks and he wasted it all on booze.

[Binks]

And what is the proper way to handle it when co-workers ask for money for so-and-so's dead cousin, so-and-so's daughter had a miscarriage and they need the money for burial (that was last week's request), or someone's mother died??? I have been wondering about this because I am not of the culture that is asking for money for extended family members. I don't want to seem uncaring and rude, but these are getting to be almost weekly occurances.

[Mrs. Patterson]

There's a 30 something lady who has her 3 yr old daughter asking for money to bury her baby sister who just died. I gave the little girl $5. This happened to me at a Food 4 Less in Long Beach. Then 2 weeks later I see the same mom with her young daughter at another Food 4 Less in Paramount asking for money. My husband reached in his pocket to get some money and I said, "No I just gave this child $5 two weeks ago then I looked the mom in her eyes and she hurried up and walked away. I just cant believe the scams people use these days to get $$$..

[randy]

Desparate times calls for desparte behavior. People will prey on others for their own gain. Tell them where the nearest mosques or synogoge is and tell them to go pray for better help!

[Lomi]

I ran into a girl in the parking lot of Wal Mart in Westminster trying to raise money to cremate her grandmother. WTH! I am so damned tired of people expecting others to support their sorry butts!

[Joey96t]

Please dont give to any of the ones off of 605 freeway and Ramona Blvd. They are all users and boozers

[Tammy]

Watch out for a family (African American) of 4 or 5, on the corner of FULLERTON ROAD and COLIMA ROAD, as well as on AZUSA AVE directly across from the La Puente Mall. They've asked for donations by holding a large cardboard box, with a photo of a little girl on the front, whom they claimed died and needed money for burial. However, sometimes, the box they hold will have a photo of a little BOY, so more than likely, it is only a fraud, so BE AWARE!

[LCOY]

There was a woman doing the same thing on Lake Ave in PASADENA mONDAY AFTERNOON.
a HISPANIC GIRL ABOUT 22 YRDS OLD

[Jason Gee]

@Mark Blocker

There's so many guys like that on Skid Row.

[JC]

Really, a scam???? Boy that is like a homeless person asking for gas money!! A SCAM!!! But if you are foolish enough to give a dime to a "homeless" person, you should only expect them to buy booze or drugs!

And BTW, a lot of these people "begging" for money make more than those of us that work 8-10 hrs a day!!

[cha]

Dude in Fontana, off of Sierra and Valley there always there with the poster of the baby. I work like 2 min from intersection and home girlis out there all day.

[Tornadoes28]

When are people going to learn to stop giving money to panhandlers? People are so clueless. Homeless people have the highest rate of alcohol and drug abuse and yet morons still give them cash stupidly assuming they all will use the money to buy food. Listen people, they ain't buying food with that money you give them. They get there food from homeless shelters and food stamps. They use the cash you give them for drugs and alcohol.

[Jed Clampett]

If you lived in a cardboard box wouldn't you want a drink? Give them money or don't. What they decide to spend it on is their perogative. If you really are concerned with what they do with their lives, join an organization that assists people in these tyoe of situations.

[Frank S]

Next time someone asks you for donnations, just ask for an address and tell them you'll send them a check, because you are out of cash. It works for me.

[Kate]

It is so sad that people have to resort to lying about dead children to swindle money out of good-hearted people who want to help. I got spoiled living in a small mid-western town for 10 years where, in all that time, I saw one person asking for money. Now back in Cali...sad to say that I am very careful of who I might assist in such a way.

@Binks: when a co-worker asks for money for an extended relative's funeral expenses, express your heartfelt condolences and then ask if there is a charity the deceased favored to which you might make a donation in their honor (in the case of the miscarriage, perhaps the charity could be a women's shelter or children's program). Since they're looking for cash, my bet is they won't name any charity and will likely stop asking you. You could also ask about attending the funeral services to pay your respects. Just a couple of thoughts. Good luck.

[LCOY]

I just reported a similar occurancew to the PASADENA POLICE.

They advised me to call them if I see the girl again.

This is fraud and unlike panhandling they can prosecute the people.

I woukd urge all of you who gave money or saw these people to report it immediately.
They CAN put these people in jail.
Do it for the sake of our streets --this is not to be tolerated.

To all of you reading---CALL THE POLICE ASAP WHEN YOU SEE THESE FOLKS AND THEY WILL BE ARRESTED>

[LCOY]

CALL THE POLICE ASAP WHEN YOU SEE THESE EPOPLE

THIS IS FRAUD AND IT CAN BE PROSECUTED

Help us keep scammers off our streets

[Mike C]

I was at lunch in a restaurant yesterday and a woman and a pre-teen girl came in and silently panhandled all of the patrons inside while holding a cardboard sign that read, "Please help me - I am a refugee in this country and have no money".

I usually have a big heart and help people out but the woman and girl were wearing very expensive clothes - I think the woman had on Juicy Couture jeans and the girl was dressed in Abercrumie & Felch! Give me a freakin' break! Let me eat lunch in peace!