on December 9th 2022 the Flagler County sheriff's deputies saw a woman with two boys near Palm Coast Parkway in Boulder Rock Drive in Palm Coast Florida they were wearing neon yellow vests and holding signs and buckets the woman was identified as Elena Fu when deputies questioned Fu she provided a fake name and later said that name belonged to her niece who died in a crash in France 3 days prior and she was raising money for her funeral 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 to 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 select it okay I don't have you what I don't have these bed 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 [Music] roadway okay how many of you are out here 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 watching him in the middle of the road too what's that I by I go okay well I need to tell them too because they're doing it too when did this happen where friend where aope France friend was that your daughter your niece was she like vacationing over there was she living over there oh do you have someone else over there on that side no but I don't know where they went I saw him but I don't know where he went where where are you parked did you drive here no you walked here no we you took a bus here where do you guys live in Jacksonville in Jacksonville were you guys over here previously on the other side of the parkway no just day 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 no what's your first name what is it it for me Maria okay and that's your last name Maria Maria is your last name no that's your last that's your last name and this is your first name do you have a middle name do you have a middle name no okay what about your birthday sep 14 okay when did it when did your you said your niece what's her name Maria Maria okay and when did she pass three days ago 3 days ago okay so in September did you have another niece named Maria that passed huh yes I am 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 no so what funeral were you trying to save money or collect money for in September no I you're lying to me no I don't like being lied to I don't like that I swear and the fact that we have videos your face is on video I recognize you from last time I talked to you and your two sons in Jacksonville here here on the other side yes oh I swear you swear yeah you're going you're going to swear to God really 12 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 it's 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 Bel te 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 my get out of here get out of pond Coast do not let me see you doing this again do not let me see you doing this to your kids again not goes for whoever's down the block still too the other people down the block is anybody else with you is my 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 yeah 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 ideas on you nothing no pass course no identification cards where do you live what address why are you lying I don't I swear it's my nie had only 19 years from April May 20 it's my I don't like I swear you told the other deputies the same thing in September is I yes you wrote your name down I looked it up and it pulled up in September of this year no mhm to meet is name Kon no it's not no it's not I am Romanian okay I'm Romania and in Flagler County there's only one person that popped up and that's you I I'm my child my my son yep yep wearing green vest 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 make this it's first time you're a liar you're lying you're lying my name stop lying yes your name and your date of bir and I talked to him last time by Goodwill Goodwill him good with you too by Bel yes I am for first time 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 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 I promise I come I don't go I go home with my children I 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 say 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 the second time that I've talked to you third time that you've been talking to that I know of for a fact what's your name again what is it me your first nameit deit what's your last name mar mar Mar is your last name all right I'm going to have you step back here for me we're going back here to the SUV right here I don't know so you said your first name is Demitri you understand you can go to jail for propri 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 okay barely if you lie you're going to jail understand 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 Fe why why lie are you in trouble up there where in Jacksonville no so why lie now down here got got have a reason to lie like I have a lot you have a lot what a lot of reasons why I have a fear from police but I don't know why how long have you been in pump Coast here no you just got here 10 10:00 how'd you get here out the H to bus bus bu us those are who are they to you my son your son how old 7 um have her write her name down she's going to have you write your name down your real name real data birth I got to get a picture of you he's 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 so I am taking you to jail for child neglect oh like this there you go 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 providing law enforcement a false name all the pain okay on my we're calling DCF what is DCF department of children and family no call my family your family we got to call DCF where's Fango I we'll give them the we'll give DCF the phone number to the family and they can deal with that but we have to call DCF right here if you had somebody down the street okay fine yeah but hold on but we'll get the phone number from you that way they can and they can arrange with you see but you can't be doing this you can't and then you say 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 here not that M face that way no that's not how this works no that is not how this works you do not pull away from me stop what you're turning and we're telling you to face this way okay you need to stop and listen we'll talk to them when we're done do not do that again do you understand me I need you to spread your feet please more more thank you bend your elbow well I mean we're not doing anything bad I'm going to have them come back here but I'm going have you in the car and then yeah but speak when you're in the car and I'm going have them come back yeah Fu was arrested and faces charges of obstructing a highway providing law enforcement with a fake name scheme to defraud and and child neglect the Department of Children and Families was also called and waited with the children for a relative to drive from Orlando and pick them up face I can't per policy he's my supervisor per policy I can't I speak my pleas yes yeah yeah um just get a quick search of that and then we'll have them over um no