Wife approached by panhandler scammer

[Superman]

Advice for the future wanted

This story is similar to this thread, but I didn't want to hijack it and my situation was slightly different: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=73474

So my wife just called me (literally a few minutes ago) and she said that she was walking to her car with my 2 kids in a Target parking lot and a guy with a gas can approached her and asked her for some gas money. She said that she recognized him from the week prior doing the same thing, with the same gas can, and she called him out on it. She said, "Didn't you ask me this last week? Are you scamming people?" She said after that he turned around and quickly left.

So my questions are:

1. Is it legal to do what that guy was doing (fraudulently ask for handouts)?
2. Should she call the cops to let them know and maybe send someone out to do something (even if it's just for the police to tell him to get lost and not come back)? I told her to go ahead and call it in, but wanted to get others' input.
3. What questions do I not know to ask...and what are the answers?

Luckily, everything ended OK for the fam. The wife does not have her CHL (yet) because she got pregnant right after she finally said she wanted to get it, but the new baby girl is almost 3 months old now so that's moving to the top of her to-do list

Thanks!

[cb1000rider]

1. Is it legal to do what that guy was doing (fraudulently ask for handouts)?
2. Should she call the cops to let them know and maybe send someone out to do something (even if it's just for the police to tell him to get lost and not come back)? I told her to go ahead and call it in, but wanted to get others' input.
3. What questions do I not know to ask...and what are the answers?

It's legal to lie, yes. It's legal to lie when asking for a hand out also.
Is it legal to solicit? That depends on two things (largely):
1) The laws in the city/county around solicitation and pan-handling.
2) The view of the property owner (Target).

Personally, I'd just tell a manger at Target that she's been "harassed" on multiple occasions and point out the person. Target can ask him/her to leave at which point it's no longer legal.

[gljjt]

1. Is it legal to do what that guy was doing (fraudulently ask for handouts)?
2. Should she call the cops to let them know and maybe send someone out to do something (even if it's just for the police to tell him to get lost and not come back)? I told her to go ahead and call it in, but wanted to get others' input.
3. What questions do I not know to ask...and what are the answers?

It's legal to lie, yes. It's legal to lie when asking for a hand out also.
Is it legal to solicit? That depends on two things (largely):
1) The laws in the city/county around solicitation and pan-handling.
2) The view of the property owner (Target).

Personally, I'd just tell a manger at Target that she's been "harassed" on multiple occasions and point out the person. Target can ask him/her to leave at which point it's no longer legal.

Good advice.

[Cedar Park Dad]

Advice for the future wanted

This story is similar to this thread, but I didn't want to hijack it and my situation was slightly different: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=73474

So my wife just called me (literally a few minutes ago) and she said that she was walking to her car with my 2 kids in a Target parking lot and a guy with a gas can approached her and asked her for some gas money. She said that she recognized him from the week prior doing the same thing, with the same gas can, and she called him out on it. She said, "Didn't you ask me this last week? Are you scamming people?" She said after that he turned around and quickly left.

So my questions are:

1. Is it legal to do what that guy was doing (fraudulently ask for handouts)?
2. Should she call the cops to let them know and maybe send someone out to do something (even if it's just for the police to tell him to get lost and not come back)? I told her to go ahead and call it in, but wanted to get others' input.
3. What questions do I not know to ask...and what are the answers?

Luckily, everything ended OK for the fam. The wife does not have her CHL (yet) because she got pregnant right after she finally said she wanted to get it, but the new baby girl is almost 3 months old now so that's moving to the top of her to-do list

Thanks!

Working downtown, I am routinely approached while waiting at the bus stop by the same four or five bums weekly. Its a nuisance but not more than that (at least for me - there are usually two troopers on horseback catecorner to the bus stop across the street).

She should steer clear and keep a distance from them though at all times, and sometimes they can try to get close. If needed DON'T be polite.

[ELB]

The panhandler approach and the mugger approach can look the same. You can find a method for distinguishing the two and fending off either in the link in OP of this thread: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=71794&hilit=avoidin ... nal+attack" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Superman]

Awesome info guys, thanks!

[SewTexas]

she handled it perfectly!

she didn't let him get near her or her babies. that's the goal.

I think cb has the best plan overall on what to do with a pan-handler

[RPBrown]

Dallas has panhandling ordinances that they almost never enforce> However, even if they did, this was on private property and not much the police can do unless Target (or another store) were to call. If a store representative were to tell the person to leave and he didn't. then they could get him for trespassing.

[Divided Attention]

I think the "don't be polite" thing is the hardest for ladies. Especially when we have our kids with us. However, we need to practice this like any other SD skill we train with. Using our command voice is something we need to come comfortable with. I won't lie. You get strange looks when you are at the range and holler "stop right there" at your paper target with your hand up, especially when you are not in a class where everyone is doing the same. I recently had someone approach my car in a threatening manner... I had noticed them going up and down my street several times very slowly, acting creepy. I was leaving for an errand and made sure they saw me see them. The turned around and headed back down my street at the corner, so I followed them. They turned around in a neighbor's drive and made a hasty exit to the front of the subdivision. I took pictures of the rear of the car including the license plate when we slowed at stop signs on the way out. We got stopped by the light at the front of the neighborhood and it seems the driver did not appreciate me taking pictures. She came back quite angrily to let me know. She wanted to let me know not to do that as she "was not a threat to me." I only lowered my window a crack to tell her to "STOP RIGHT THERE!" as her body language was not friendly and she was hollering at me not to take pictures of her car. I proceeded to tell her I was looking out for my neighborhood, and she should return to her car. I couldn't back up as there was a car behind me. She did return, and when she initially kept advancing I did put my hand on my side arm. I could hear every heartbeat, but all was well. I have used the "Stop right there" in parking lots and garages as well. Typically their eyes fly wide and they do indeed stop. Practice this, as the first time I did it I kinda shocked myself at how forceful I sounded.
In talking with friends they are all "I could never holler at someone in a parking lot, just ask them to walk away." My answer is this is not a tea party, and my hoola-hoop is bigger than polite conversation in parking lots. I would rather apologize for alarming someone than wish I had drawn attention to a threatening situation. JMPHO.

[Superman]

So the consensus from the other thread that I linked to in the OP was that it was good to call the police, even though nothing happened...apparently there was a string of robberies that fit that description (the description in the other thread). Would this not fall into that camp as well?

Reference this comment: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=73474#p924899

[Jim Beaux]

Call the police. A dishonest guy loitering in a parking lot is not a good thing. I would not be surprised if he has had previous run ins with the law - & there just may be a warrant on him. We do have a civic responsibility.

[mojo84]

I've told my wife to keep distance between them and her, not to make direct eye contact, say "no" if asked for money and call the police if the bum is aggressive or persistent.

Then we moved to Boerne and haven't had much contact with them.

[EEllis]

I'm going to be contrary and say that it is possible to get a charge on a panhandle who lies when soliciting. Now if the DA wants to bother, how much effort the cop is willing to put in, etcetera. Most cities now have ordinances that make it illegal to solicit money for a reason 5 hat doesn't exist so then it's easier but if there was a kid with a container soliciting for a fake charity wouldn't you consider that theft? Well beggars lying can also be prosecuted. My brother and I were heading home from work and we looked over to see the guy my brother gave money the day before who claimed he was out of gas, even had a car parked with the hood up, begging in the same gas station with the same car. We pulled over and called the cops and the guy was arrested for it. It is t heft.