Police in Fresno got a surprise Monday when they arrested a well-known local panhandler and found $1,800 in his pockets.
Officers arrested Kevin Joy, 43, after seeing him panhandling in a road’s center median. In a 20-minute span, he approached between 10 and 15 cars, police said.
According to the Fresno Police Department, Joy violated a municipal code that bars people from standing on the city’s medians without a permit.
“During his arrest he was found to have over $1,800 in his possession,” said FPD Sgt. Todd Miller in a news release.
Authorities did not say where the money came from. A photo released by FPD showed the cash laid out in haphazard stacks, mostly made up of $20 bills.
According to officials, Joy is no stranger. Officers have fielded numerous calls about the panhandler from people who said he was often aggressive and ran into area traffic.
“Joy has been cited or arrested for similar violations 11 times within the last 17 days and over 60 times in 2015,” Miller said. “Joy has been offered city resources to improve his situation but instead chooses to live this lifestyle.”
