NORTON SHORES, Mich.- Two women are accused of soliciting money for Jessica Heeringa’s son and police say they are pocketing the money.
Roosevelt Park Police Chief David Boone says, “She went from customer to customer asking for donations- several of the people did give her some money.”
Neither of the women are affiliated with the Herringa Family. Joanne Vaughn was charged with larceny by false pretense. The other woman believed to be involved is Susan Adams, so far she has only been charged with trespassing.
Brianne Murrell lives in Norton Shores and knows Adams. She says she’s solicited on behalf of other charities before. She says, “I thought, jeeze that doesn’t sound right and I thought in the back of my mind, jeeze that sounds like Susan Adams and then all of a sudden I see her picture and I was like you’re kidding me, that is her!”
Police say after speaking to both women and ticketing them for trespassing, Vaughn was out soliciting again Thursday night.
Chief Boone says, “It’s bad enough that she’s doing it then after we’ve contacted her and she’s doing it again.”
Brianne says she finds it sickening, “It stoops to a whole new low, it’s not human to me anymore to me. How do you stoop that low?”
We wanted to find out for ourselves. After Adams ran from us into her house, she finally came out and said, “They’re gonna get money, this was not done the way you guys put it out and I’m very pissed off at you.”
Though she’s only been charged with trespassing, Susan Adams of Norton Shores admits she’s been collecting money on behalf of the Heeringa Family.
Adams says, “That money was going to them and it’s still going to them, it was going as a surprise. I have a special girlfriend who works at Chuck E. Cheese’s- we were going to do something very special for that little boy and you guys all turned this around.”
Adams has no affiliation with the Heeringa Family and police say there’s no evidence she planned to give them the money.
We asked her if she felt she’s misleading people. Adams said, “No, I don’t feel I was misleading because this money is going to go to them.”
Adams told us she collected $100 and says she plans to bring it to the family. We asked if we could be there when she does. Adams said, “I don`t know, you misrepresent me left and right.”
We also asked Adams where the money was, she said, “$100 is with my caretaker so that I would not spend the money”
