Many people were saddened by the news about two young children who were killed in the holiday inn hotel last week. A concerned citizen who did not want to be identified came to our station to report a possible scam regarding a steak plate sale where a man has been going door to door in the century city neighborhood.
"If you've ever sold a steak plate sale for an association you belong to or for school, you know you're going to try to sell the tickets to someone in your inner circle."
Baeza cautions people from buying something from a complete stranger.
"Especially if it looks like the ticket we have here today...handwritten you know."
When we showed the handwritten tickets that appear to be written on construction paper, Baeza said that makes him think this is a scam.
He says organizations will have something more genuine.
"They're going to have something printed with numbers so they can track how many tickets they sold."
The person who came to us with the concern said they thought something wasn't right when the ticket seller said the money raised will go to pay for the funeral costs since the family will be buried in Brownsville this weekend, when in fact, Brandy Cerny and her two sons were buried Monday in their hometown. When the person asked what organization they were with, the ticket salesman left.
"It's a huge red flag. You have every right as a person buying a ticket to ask what the cause is from."
Someone who was also concerned is the pastor of Iglesia Vida Eterna En Jesus who's old address is on the ticket.
"We did have someone call us this morning and ask us if we were doing a plate sale. We told them we had nothing to do with it."
Pastor Montez says the address is their old church building. When the people who purchased a ticket look up the address, it shows the church's name. "We don't want people to think the church is participating in something like this."
People who have purchased tickets from the seller say he's a male with star tattoos on each hand.
Police say if there is no plate sale on Friday, the person does face criminal charges of criminal assimilation which is a class a misdemeanor.