3 from out of state jailed for panhandling in Peachtree City

Three people from three states were recently cited for soliciting money in three locations around Peachtree City.

Officers on Sept. 3 at approximately 1 p.m. were dispatched to the area of Outback Steakhouse and Chick-fil-A in Kedron Village in reference to a female subject asking for money, according to police reports.

“Further investigation revealed the lady to have been warned multiple times in the past for soliciting,” police reports said of 35-year-old Justina Mihai. “The female was cited and released with a copy (of the charge) while her husband, who was waiting for her to finish soliciting, was found to be driving a vehicle with no insurance or a driver`s license.”

The male subject, 37-year-old Nelu Mihai, of Houston, Texas, was transported to Fayette County Jail for city ordinance violation, no insurance and driving without a valid license.

In another incident, officers on Sept. 6 at approximately 12:54 p.m. responded to an anonymous complaint of a male needing help at the edge of the roadway on Georgian Parkway near Ga. Highway 74.

“Upon arrival, we met with the offender who was standing at the exit of the Kedron Village shopping center at Georgian Park while holding a sign requesting assistance, to which he admitted he was seeking money from passing motorists. He was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Fayette County Jail for a municipal ordinance violation without incident,” the police report said

Peachtree City Police Department spokesman Donte Phillips said Luis Velcu, 18, was arrested rather than only being cited because officers could not confirm his residence. Velcu indicated he was from Duluth, though his identification showed he was from Arizona.

In a third incident, officers on Sept. 3 at approximately 5:19 p.m. responded to a suspicious person soliciting money reported at the Fresh Market store on Ga. Highway 54.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers determined that Lovery R. Roman, 33, of South Dakota, was soliciting without a permit. He was charged for that offense and for driving without a valid license.