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Saw this story on the 11 News Website and thought it was worth posting...

Street soliciting scheme targets caring Houstonians

12:28 PM CST on Saturday, November 15, 2003


By Jeff McShan / 11 News



There is an apparent street soliciting scheme that may have targeted you.

Their story seemed sad, but when 11 News’ reporter Jeff McShan started asking questions after spotting them at 290 and Bingle, they took off.

You can find them at most busy intersections. They’re street beggars, but rarely do you drive up on them where they’re asking for money to save a child.

A woman who says her name is Janel Rodriguez claims that her 8-year-old daughter Victoria is in Memorial Hermann Southwest suffering from cancer.

She says that her daughter desperately needs a lung transplant, one that she and her other daughters working the intersection say they can’t afford.

When the 11 News team offered to help, the women began to cover their faces and quickly leave.

And perhaps we know why...

11 News contacted Memorial Hermann and were told that there is no such person in the hospital. No 8-year-old girl named Victoria needing a transplant.

One man who had been watching them wasn’t surprised.

There were many people that gave Friday.

“People call us about charitable scams all the time,” said Russell Turbeville, Harris County Assistant District Attorney.

Turbeville says that what was taking place at the corner of Bingle and Highway 290 is not uncommon, but there is little the DA’s office can do to fight it. “Typically these street side solicitations that people give, they never ask or follow up so they have been victimized and the don’t know it. We have to have a victim or its not a theft and most of the people that give, give out of the goodness of their heart and don’t ask any questions so we never hear about it.”

And Turbeville adds that the way the law is written makes it difficult to prosecute. He says the law doesn’t require any individual or charitable organization to clearly state where all of the money is being used. He says that gives him a lot of trouble.