ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — People on social media say they recognize a man who is believed to be a repeat panhandler in St. Johns County.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrested Rudy McCoy for trespassing after warning because the deputies said he returned to the Riverside Plaza to ask people for money despite businesses telling him to leave. McCoy was found with $2,288.97 in cash in his pocket, deputies said.
Many recognized the suspected panhandler who frequented the St. Johns County area.
One person on Facebook wrote on the post that McCoy stood outside the Chick-Fil-A in St. Augustine, daily, for months asking for handouts. Another commented saying, "I did give him money, but my intentions were good. What he does with it is his conscience, not mine!"
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A Facebook user also commented, saying the man looked like the person who had an iPhone.
SJSO said state law bans panhandlers from being on state roads and they are not allowed to block traffic.
His sign said: "Don’t like to ask for money but anything will help." This suspected serial panhandler in St. Augustine had a LOT of money on him when he was arrested: http://bit.ly/1LMn3lX
Posted by Action News Jacksonville on Tuesday, December 1, 2015
WJAX
