Florida Homeless Advocate Arrested for Feeding the Homeless at City Park
Per the new ordinance of the City of Orlando, each group or individual is only allowed to provide food for a maximum of 25 people. If a group wants to do a larger feeding, they have to submit a request and get it approved. On Wednesday, Montanez was being watched undercover by police while handing out a meal to the less fortunate in the park at Lake Eola. The undercover officers observed Montanez feeding 30 homeless people in Lake Eola Park. Eric Montanez was arrested soon after with the homeless people that he had just helped looking on. The people that were in the park were shocked that someone would be arrested for doing such a good deed, even if it was against the new city ordinance.
Montanez was charged with a misdemeanor and posted bail of $250 and was out of jail on Thursday. He is being charged with feeding a large group in a city-owned park. The arrest affidavit said Montanez was only arrested because he attempted to conceal his identity and threw his ID on the ground. The suspects said that he was cuffed and dragged off and had no way to hold onto his identification while in handcuffs.
ACLU already has a pending lawsuit about the ordinance and state that it is unconstitutional. ACLU lawyers are meeting Thursday afternoon to take legal action against the arrest. They stated the city publicly said they would not enforce its ordinance about feeding the homeless until the lawsuit worked its way through the courts. They don't think the city's law will be upheld.
ACLU's local chairman, George Crossley, is stunned by time and resources that Orlando police put into someone trying to help the less fortunate in the city. "There are a lot better things for law enforcement to be doing in this town, but this was an outrage," Crossley said.
Many people in the downtown area are outraged against this action and believe that the court suite will prevail. People believe that this ordinance is there, so the city does not look bad.
Source: Complied with help from local news on WFTV Channel 9 Newscast.
Published by Amber A.
Energetic mom of 4 beautiful children. Works part time, involved in Cub Scouts, and just about anything to help my children. View profile
- Midnight Run: Helping the Homeless in NYCMidnight runs involve handing out clothing, food, and other necessities to the homeless.
- How Best to Define the HomelessThe "Homeless" term is nothing more than ear candy for guilty White Liberals, borne out of political correctness gone amok.
Historic Lake Eola is the Centerpiece of Downtown OrlandoLake Eola is surrounded by skyscrapers and high-rise condominiums making Lake Eola Park feel like a true oasis in the middle of a major metropolis.- Lake Eola Park: A Must Do in Orlando, FloridaIf you are looking for a slower paced, and less expensive alternate day to visiting the bustling theme parks and shopping in Orlando, Lake Eola Park is a must.
- Everything You Need to Know About the Lake Eola Market in Orlando, FloridaYou'll find more than Florida oranges at Orlando's popular Eola Market, the Farmers Market that makes an appearance on the corner of Lake Eola Park each Saturday morning. Here's what to expect.
- Feeding the Hungry for Generations is Not a Nominal Task
- Save Eola Park in Orlando, Florida
- Top Three Affordable Orlando Area Recreation Parks
- Peoria, Illinois, Basketball Coach Indicted for Sexual Assault
- Visit the Other Orlando
- The Homeless and the Police
- Don't Feed the Homeless in Miami--It Could End Up Costing You Big Bucks
7 Comments
Post a Commenti feel that the man trying to the underclass should not have been arested.for he was doing something good for sombody eles. who really is feeding the homeless hurting?I feel that the mayor is more worried about how much money is bieng givin to the poor when it can be put in slot machines...
wow, if only every prisoner could boast that their greatest crime was trying to feed a large group of hungry, less fortunate people. this story shocks me though i suppose i shouldnt be that surprise. and what kind of town would make such an outrageous law? dont feed the hungry- let them all starve! terrible.
I think that the police need to be more concerned about real criminals not people who are trying to feed people.
Not everyone that ends up homeless is homeless because of drugs or criminal activity, there are really homeless people who are trying to find housing. And employment. If you prevent someone from helping someone else when they want to and can you may just be adding to someones problems and may even discourage them from trying to do better.
When someone is trying to help people that should be encouraged, unless its encouraging something illegal like drugs or murder, but food for people who don't have any that should not be a crime, imo
It is pathetic that they actually arrested him for this.. :-) Great article
Crazy, we have a similar ordinance here, where it's now illegal to feed the homeless in the parks. A radio dj that was handing out coffee and donuts was given a fine after the ordinance came out.
Terrific article. What a petty policy.
Now this is a case in which the ACLU should be backed. Whenever I read something like this I cann't help but think of the mis-use of power. Then too, who do the police think they're fooling-arresting him for throwing his ID on the ground-pleeeeease! Damage control is more like it. Why in the world were they asking him for it to begin with! ooh-ooh I've got the answer- to harass him about feeding the less fortunate.