A panhandler was accused of killing a woman. But her family staged the attack, police say.

By Amy B Wang March 4 at 5:59 AM

The initially reported details of a fatal stabbing in Baltimore were already tragic when they emerged in December.

A 52-year-old woman named Jacquelyn Smith had been driving with her family in the city when they encountered a woman holding what appeared to be a bundled infant and a cardboard sign reading, “Please help me feed my baby,” according to police.

It was just past midnight. In the darkness, Smith allegedly began an act of kindness, not knowing it would end her life. The Washington Post’s Katherine Shaver reported:

Smith, who was in the front passenger seat, rolled down her window to give the woman money. Police said a man then approached the vehicle, thanked the family and reached in to grab Smith’s wallet. A struggle occurred, and the man stabbed Smith in the chest before running away with the woman who had held the sign.

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On Sunday, however — three months after the stabbing — Baltimore police revealed the case had taken a more sinister turn: Smith’s husband and stepdaughter had been arrested. The story about the panhandler appeared to have been concocted to cover up a premeditated murder, police said.

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Harrison and other state officials criticized what they said had been an attempt to exploit stereotypes that Baltimore is a crime-ridden city.

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