On December 9th, 2022, deputies in Palm Coast, Florida approached a woman and two young boys standing in the median of a busy intersection collecting donations for a tragic family funeral. The woman claimed her 20-year-old niece had just died in a horrific car crash overseas, but as the deputy began to ask questions, she quickly recognized her from a previous encounter and she knew exactly what she was really up to. Hello. How are you? So, I understand what you're doing and I'm sorry that you're going through this. However, we cannot have you guys walking in the middle of the roadway. It's interfering with the flow of traffic. It risks you getting hurt or one of them getting hurt and someone else getting into a crash, okay? So, I understand. I don't know if you have any Did you have any permits? You have to also have a permit to solicit. You what? I don't have this permit. You don't have a permit? Okay. So, yeah, that's another thing that you have to do. You have to make sure that you're pulling the right permits, too, okay? Again, I'm sorry that you're going through this. I'm not trying to be inhumane or or discredit what you're going through at all. I understand you're probably going through a lot of pain, but you can't be out here walking in the middle of the roadway. Okay. How many of you are out here? Four. Four? Okay. Do you have a way of calling them so they can all come here so I can tell them the same thing? Okay. Well, I need them to come over here, too, cuz I need Watching him is in the middle of the road, too. When did this happen? Where? Where? Aurore France France Was that your daughter? Your niece? Was she like vacationing over there? Was she living over there? Oh. Hello. Do you have someone else over there on that side? I don't know where they went. I saw him, but I don't know where he went. Were you guys over here previously on the other side of the parkway? No? This day Just today? Just today. Okay. So, is this your mom? Okay. So, what I was telling her is I'm sorry what happened to your family. It's very tragic. I'm sorry that you're going through that. However, we can't have you guys walking in traffic, okay? Someone's not paying attention. I mean, you almost got hit when the lady pulled up when he was crossing the road. You know? People aren't paying attention. It's a busy intersection. We can't risk you guys getting hurt, getting killed possibly in a crash or someone else getting in a crash, okay? So, another thing is, too, you got to have a permit if you're going to be out here as well. And again, you cannot interfere with the flow of traffic, okay? So. I wish you guys the best of luck. Okay? I'm sorry that your family's going through this. If you can, just relay the information to the other guy. I don't know where he went. Um but please be careful. Please be safe, okay? Do you guys have any ID with you? No? When did your You said your niece? What's her name? Maria. Maria? Okay. And when did she pass? Three days ago. Three days ago? Okay. So, in September, did you have another niece named Maria that passed? Huh? Ish I >> You and your two sons were on the other side doing the same thing. Collecting money for a funeral. Me? Yes. Your name and your date of birth that you gave me Yeah. No. No. So, what funeral were you trying to save money or collect money for in September? You're lying to me. I don't like being lied to. I don't like that. I swear. And the fact that you're >> we have videos. Your face is on Me? I recognize you from last time I talked to you and your two sons. Here. On the other side. Yes. You swear? Yeah. You're going to You're going to swear to God? Really? That's a shame. You should be ashamed of yourself. You should be ashamed of yourself trying to do this in front of your two kids. This first time No, it's not. I am telling you, I recognize you from last time I talked to you and the name and date of birth you gave me and the same story you gave me is the same one you told the other deputies on the other side of Palm Coast Parkway by Belle Terre. Yes, it is. Stop lying. You're lying to yourself, you're lying to me, and you're lying in front of your kids. This is the kind of mom you want to be for your kids? Lying? Lying to people for money? Really? Let's start over. Why are you collecting money? What do you need help with? Get out of here. Get out of Palm Coast. Do not let me see you doing this again. Do not let me see you doing this to your kids again. And that goes for whoever's down the block still, too. The other people down the block. Is anybody else with you? Let me Let me put it this way. Next time I see you out here with your two kids, I'm calling DCF. And I will be sure that you're going to get every citation I can think of. But this is not okay. You lying is not okay. You want your kids taken from you? Putting them in danger, allowing them walk in traffic, collecting money, lying to people? You need to start telling yourself the truth first and stop lying to me, him, and everyone else. I know you gave your names, but you have any IDs on you? Nothing? No passports, no identification cards? Why are you lying? I don't lie. I swear. It's my niece. Antony, 19 years from April May 20. It's my niece. I don't lie. I swear. You told the other deputies the same thing in September. Ish I Yes. You wrote your name down. I looked it up and it pulled up in September of this year. No. Mhm. Dimitri is name common. No, it's not. No, it's not. I am Romanian. Okay. I am Romanian. >> And in Flagler County, there's only one person that popped up and that's you. I and my child Yep. My son. >> Yep. Yep. Wearing green vests with two juvenile males holding a sign saying they're collecting money for a funeral. So, again, do you want to keep lying? I don't lie. This first time You're a liar. You're lying. You're lying. My name Stop lying. Yes. Your name and your date of birth. And I talked to him last time by Goodwill. Goodwill? Him. For Goodwill? With you, too. By Belle Terre. Yes. I am for first time in this No, stop lying. Stop lying. I understand if you're going through a hard time and I'd be more than happy to help you and give you resources to help you with whatever it is that you need to help get you by, cuz I get it. It's been a hard year for a lot of people. Finances have been very hard. Not everyone can afford to get by. And I'll be more than happy to help you with that, but you won't stop lying. I can't help a liar. What is it that you need help with? How can I help you rather than you coming out here with your kids collecting money and lying to people about it? I don't lie. I don't lie. My brother is in France. Please. Well, then she didn't just die 3 days ago. Then who were you collecting the money for the funeral for last month or in September? You're going to get absolutely nowhere in life by continuing to lie. I promise. I come I don't come. I go home with my children and I don't come That's not up to you. That's up to us to decide at this point. Cuz you're You and your two kids are a reoccurring issue and I'm not going to sit here and blame them because they're just doing what their mother asked them to do. They're lead They're following your example that you're leading for them. So, this falls on you as a mother and as an adult. We get to decide what happens from here. This is the third time second time that I've talked to you, third time that you've been talking that I know of for a fact. Listen. I get it's hard. I get you're from another country, okay? And a single mom, right? My mom's from another country, too. My mom, single mom, two kids. She did what she had to do. But she never lied. She was honest about her work and how she earned her money. That's what you need to do to set an example for these two. You really think I want to be chewing you out in front of your kids and lecturing you? You're a grown adult. I'm closer to age in your with your kids than you. I don't need to be doing this, but you need to start being honest. I know that it's hard. I get that and I will help you if I can, but you need to be honest. That's all there is to it. How long have you been here in America? How long? >> 7 months. 7 months? So, were they born over there, too? Or were they born here? Where were they born? Romania. Okay. This isn't the example you should be setting as a mother. You and I both know that. Lying and lying to people for money isn't the way to do it. People will give People will help. You got to find the right people. But you're not going to find the right people by lying. Are you ready to be honest? I am. Huh? I am honest. I tell the truth. Is that true? You can't even look me in the eye. I tell the truth. I don't lie. Why Okay, so look at me and tell me, why are you out here? For Maria. Who's Maria? My niece. Your niece? What happened to your niece? Accident car. The boyfriend is like But Maria died. And where are they at? Where are they at? I'm friends. And when did this happen? 2 days ago. You're lying. You gave me all the indicators that you're lying. You got to understand we're trained to read body language and understand when people are lying to us. You gave me three huge indicators that you're lying to me. Besides the fact Besides the fact that I've talked to you before and before it was for someone with cancer. Someone with cancer. Someone. Don't know who. One of your family members with cancer. And then the last time it was for the same thing. I don't have cancer. Not you. You guys were saying you were collecting money for a family member that had cancer. I think it was a baby. I One of you. Pretty sure it was him. Or him. One of them. This is first time I come. No, it's not. We were just out here talking to you in September. Same thing told Same thing collecting money for a funeral. What's your name again? What is it? Dmitru Maria. Your first name? Dmitru. Dmitru? What's your last name? Maria. Maria's your last name? All right, I'm going to have you step back here for me. We're going back here to the SUV. Let's see your right hand. So, you said your first name is Dmitru. You understand you can go to jail for provi- providing law enforcement a false name. Right? This is going to tell me exactly who you are. Well, no. It's going to confirm who you are cuz we already figured out what your real name is. Do you understand? No. Okay. If you lie, you're going to jail. Understand? Okay. So, we can start over. You can actually tell us who what your real name is because we already found where you were up in Jacksonville. So, you want to start over or do you want to continue to lie? Okay. I am Fira Elena. Why? Why lie? Are you in trouble up there? What? In Jacksonville. No. So, why lie now down here? I mean you got You have to have a reason to lie, like I have a lot You have a lot of what? These lot of reasons? Why? I have a fear from police, but I don't know why. How long have you been in Palm Coast? No. You just got here? 10:00. 10:00? How'd you get here? I don't know. Huh? Two bus bus. Bus? And those are Who are they to you? My son. Your son? How old? 17 and 6. If you want to go over by them, we'll be right there. I want to smoke, please. Smoke? Yeah. I have one please. I tell the Why should I allow you to smoke when you've been lying to us the whole time? I have so. I eat something not good. I I want I want cigarette back home. That's why. As long as you continue to be honest from here on out. I tell you the truth. I have only one. Okay. Yeah? Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. There's Who was the other one that was across the street? Huh? You don't know? No. All right, you're lying to me again. It's my cousin, but go. He already went home? What about down there? Who's the girl that's down there? All right, I need you to stand up for me. What's your name? Tell them to catch you. Get ready for funeral. Okay. Just put your hands down at your side. Okay with this? Yeah, stick it up. All right, and then I need one of you. I'm going to go to the bathroom. All right, you can put that down. I will sign something. I want to get a picture of these two. I'm going to take them. Um here, let's go back here and talk. I got to get a picture of you. Hands down by your side. You said your name is Elena, right? What's in the purse? Can you take the purse off? Can you take it off? Put it Put the whole thing up. Yeah. Put it up here. Just put the whole purse up here. So, I am taking you to jail for child neglect, I'm taking you to jail for child neglect, for interfering with the flow of traffic and soliciting that I was telling you about earlier. And for providing law law enforcement a false name all the time. Okay? What about my child? I We're calling DCF. What is DCF? Department of Children and Families. No, call my family. Your family? We got to call DCF. You can't be doing this. You can't. And then you said you have a fear, but had you gave us the right name the first time and everything else, you probably wouldn't be in this situation. You can't walk in the roadway. You have to get a permit in order for you to collect money from people like that. Right now you're just you're accusing, you know, the nice citizens of our county. And you're especially saying that a 20-year-old died in a car crash. And who is that Who is that girl in the picture? Nobody that you know. It's The picture is my cousin, but go away. Does she know Does she know you're using her picture? Yeah, she was on the other side of the You got the same cousin that was just over there. There was one over there and there's one down there. Yeah. Don't I don't know. I swear I don't know who is. It's some So, how'd you get here? Cuz you didn't get a bus here. With my cousin, but he go. Where's your cousin staying? Orlando. So, what brought you to Palm Coast? Wha- Why are you Why here? Oh, same from you guys. All right. Do you have anything on you? Money, drugs, weapons? No, okay. Move. Speak my language. Okay. So, hold on. So, it's comfortable for you. Turn and face me. Face me and put your butt on the seat and slide back. Cuz if you put your arms back here, it's going to be uncomfortable. >> breathe in face. >> I can't. Per policy. He's my supervisor. Per policy, I can't. I speak English, please. Yes. Yeah? Me too, me too. Yes. Get a quick search of that and then we'll have them move over. >> Ultimately, the suspect was taken into custody and transported to the local jail. She was formally charged with obstructing a highway, providing a false name to law enforcement, scheme to defraud, and child neglect. Following her arrest, the Department of Children and Families responded to the scene, where they waited with the two young boys until a relative could make the drive from Orlando to safely take custody of them.