Prosecutors Withdraw Charges Against Homeless Man Who Stayed In Upscale Hotel
- 10 years ago
A homeless man named Jeffrey Watson got off scot-free after staying in an upscale hotel in Pittsburgh illegally.
A homeless man named Jeffrey Watson got off scot-free after staying in an upscale hotel in Pittsburgh illegally.
On Monday, prosecutors officially withdrew charges against the 48-year-old. Prior to that he was charged with theft of services and criminal tresspass for entering a 25-hundred dollar a night suite at Omni William Penn Hotel and taking a snooze on a sofa.
The case dates back to November of last year. On the sixth of the month, hotel staffers dialed 911 after the legitimate guests found Watson asleep in the room.
The suite contains 3 bedrooms, a full kitchenette, a dining room, and a wet bar. Additional features include crystal chandeliers and a grand piano. Watson reportedly had his shoes off and was resting in the 1,300-square-foot parlor.
After police made their way up to the sprawling accomodations, Watson was taken to jail and charged. He wasn’t able to post the 15 thousand dollar bond.
Watson claimed he was in the area while trying to get back home to California. Since November, Watson remained behind bars.
Now, homeless advocates are speaking out in approval of the decision to drop the charges. Jeremy Rosen who is affiliated with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty in Washington D.C. remarked “I certainly don't think it's productive to charge somebody in that situation and have them spend time in jail.”
A homeless man named Jeffrey Watson got off scot-free after staying in an upscale hotel in Pittsburgh illegally.
On Monday, prosecutors officially withdrew charges against the 48-year-old. Prior to that he was charged with theft of services and criminal tresspass for entering a 25-hundred dollar a night suite at Omni William Penn Hotel and taking a snooze on a sofa.
The case dates back to November of last year. On the sixth of the month, hotel staffers dialed 911 after the legitimate guests found Watson asleep in the room.
The suite contains 3 bedrooms, a full kitchenette, a dining room, and a wet bar. Additional features include crystal chandeliers and a grand piano. Watson reportedly had his shoes off and was resting in the 1,300-square-foot parlor.
After police made their way up to the sprawling accomodations, Watson was taken to jail and charged. He wasn’t able to post the 15 thousand dollar bond.
Watson claimed he was in the area while trying to get back home to California. Since November, Watson remained behind bars.
Now, homeless advocates are speaking out in approval of the decision to drop the charges. Jeremy Rosen who is affiliated with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty in Washington D.C. remarked “I certainly don't think it's productive to charge somebody in that situation and have them spend time in jail.”