Daytona Beach police dismissed Wednesday more than $2,000 in fines levied against a Florida couple - and four of their friends - for feeding homeless people at a park, local authorities confirmed to NBC News.
"They've dropped all the charges. But we’re not going to stop feeding people around here. We’ve been doing that all along," said Debbie Jimenez, who, with her husband, Chico, was ticketed for trespassing and violating a local law that bars individuals from sharing food with homeless people in public places.
The Jimenezes met Wednesday with Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood and a city attorney, who agreed to waive the citations and accompanying fines, and urged the couple to apply for a city permit if they seek to continue publicly providing food to homeless people, Debbie Jimenez said.
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Chico Jimenez vowed to return to city offices on Thursday to apply for a permit to re-launch the weekly hot-meal service. He is not expecting to be granted that legal paperwork, he said.
"I still want to be able to feed at Manatee Park because we’ve been feeding people there for a year. I'm more than positive that they’re not going to allow me to do that," Chico Jimenez said. "And when they turn me down, my lawyer will file a lawsuit against the city for violating our civil rights."
Florida Couple Cleared of All Fines for Feeding Homeless People - NBC News.com
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