As Maria Helms was on her home from Charlotte Wednesday afternoon, when she spotted a homeless man holding a cardboard sign, right near the I-85 exit 17 in Gastonia.
“I always try to keep a few dollars in cash on me just in case of emergency” says Helms, but it’s what happened next that threw her for a surprise.
Helms slowed down just enough to hand the man a $5 bill, when the man did something unexpected. “He told me to wait for a second while he reached into his pocket. I was kinda scared, but he pulled out a giant wad of $100 dollar bills”, claims Helms. It was then that the homeless man exchanged her $5 bill for a $100 bill and thanked Helms for her kind gesture.
“I couldn’t believe it. I tried to give it back to him, but he told me that he does this all the time” she stated.
In disbelief, Helms took the $100 bill back home where her husband, Billy Helms, a retired banker, confirmed that the money was legitimate. It turns out that Helms isn’t the only person that has had this encounter and received money from the man. Multiple sources have confirmed with GNN that this has been happening more frequently over the last month.
Rusty Gilman, a native of Gastonia had a similar experience when he offered the man $3.00 in cash and the man returned the favor with a $50 bill.
“I’m pretty sure he’s a leprechaun. He’s got the red hair and the really pale skin and doesn’t sound like he’s from here. I try to drive by that same spot on the way to the grocery store, but now he vanishes into thin air once I get close. It’s gotta be a leprechaun, I just know it. There used to be one in Bessemer City.” claims Gilman.
GNN will be following up with more updates on the store, but we want to know..
Have you ever had an encounter with a leprechaun in Gastonia?
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