ABILENE, Texas — An apparently "homeless and handicapped" man in Abilene, Texas, makes about a $1,000 a weekend panhandling at a busy intersection in the city. There's just one thing.
He's not homeless and he's not handicapped, according to KTXS-TV, which cited Abilene's police chief.
The man is seen every weekend at the same intersection sitting in a wheelchair and asking for charity, Police Chief Stan Standridge said in a social media post.
“He is not homeless. He resides in a south side residence,” Standridge said.
“He is not wheelchair-bound but is instead dropped off every weekend to seek charity. He earns about $1,000 for his efforts, just working the weekends,” he said.
Standridge said he wanted to draw attention to the situation after residents expressed concern about the man.
He also said he wanted to encourage people to give to legitimate charities.
“Imagine if those dollars were given to nonprofits to help get our homeless neighbors off the streets and into thriving!” Standridge wrote.
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