Maryland woman thought killed by panhandler was actually killed by husband: police
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jacquelyn Smith, 52, wasn't killed by a panhandler in December 2018, but rather by her husband and daughter, Baltimore Police said Sunday. (Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland)
A Maryland woman who was supposedly killed last year by a panhandler asking for help was actually killed by her husband, police revealed on Sunday.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said investigators on Dec. 1, 2018 received a call from Keith Smith, Jacquelyn Smith's husband, reporting that his wife was stabbed to death after she gave money to a panhandler in East Baltimore.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police said at the time that Smith rolled down her car window to give money to a woman who was holding a sign that read, "Please help me feed my baby." When she rolled down her window, an unidentified man approached her to thank her for her kindness, then tried to steal her wallet — which led to a struggle, and the man stabbed a knife into her chest.
"We now know that was not true," Harrison told reporters at a news conference.
A "lengthy investigation" led police to believe that Smith's husband, 52-year-old Keith, and stepdaughter, 28-year-old Valeria Smith, were responsible for Jacquelyn Smith's death.
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Harrison said that Keith and Valeria Smith were arrested on Sunday near the U.S.-Mexico border in Harlingen, Texas, and were both charged with first-degree murder.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said the father and daughter "took advantage of a situation — a city that is already dealing with its own problems." The alleged panhandler crime attracted national attention and prompted many people to regard panhandlers warily.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report.