Calif. city council candidate caught on camera dropping off 86-year-old disabled mom to panhandle

An Irvine, California, resident who is running for city council has been widely condemned after it was revealed that he regularly drops off his 86-year-old disabled mother in nearby Laguna Beach to panhandle.

I'm sorry, what?

According to residents of Laguna Beach, Dave Chey regularly drops his mother Soon Chey in Laguna Beach to panhandle, according to KCAL-TV. Soon Chey is 86 years old and in a wheelchair, and regularly begs for money on a given street corner in Laguna Beach with a sign that says "Please, help me."

According to multiple reports from local media outlets, neither Dave nor Soon is homeless or destitute; they live together in an Irvine apartment.

One local business owner, Heidi Miller, decided to take action. She used her cellphone to record Dave dropping off Soon from his brand new Toyota, and made her own sign that says "Do not give this woman money. Her son drops her off to beg for money," and includes pictures from the video she took.

But wait, it gets worse.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Soon has developed incontinence, and one local resident named Lorene Laguna recorded her defecating on a park bench. Laguna told the Times that the incident motivated her to run for city council in Laguna Beach in the hopes of passing an ordinance that would deal with the situation.

According to KCAL, Laguna Beach police say they are powerless to stop the situation. Nothing the Cheys are doing is currently illegal, and when they have inquired about Soon's well-being, she tells them she is happy and wants to panhandle.

Dave Chey did not return any of several requests for comment that were submitted by local news outlets, although the Times reported that he has been confrontational with several people who have recorded him dropping off his mother.

According to the Times, Chey is not considered a favorite to win, and finished last in the popular vote in a previous run for mayor of Irvine.