Suspect Removes No Panhandling Sign, Starts Begging

Walla Walla police confronted a panhandling suspect whom it appears might have been running a scam.

Earlier this week, officers were called to Plaza Way near the Dollar Store after patrons and store workers complained about a man panhandling outside.

Officers confronted the man, and noticed he'd taken down the "no panhandling" sign. He denied it but then changed his story when witnesses told police he did it. Police trespassed him (banned) him from the block, after which he got into a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage with CA plates and drove away. Sounds a bit like a scam.

Walla Walla Police and other agencies have been working with businesses and citizens to try to curb the growing issue of panhandlers in our region. Signs like this one in our story have begun to appear in numerous cities and areas.