Update:
Please note that criminal charges were brought against the individuals after the publication of this story in November 2017. More information the legal proceedings in this case can be read on NBC News and BBC News
What began as a heartwarming story that went viral has led to charges and guilty pleas for the couple and the homeless man involved.
When a homeless veteran named Johnny stopped to help Kate McClure after she got stuck on Interstate 27 in New Jersey, he had no way of knowing the encounter would be life-changing.
Kate was stranded after her car ran out of gas and she didn’t have any money to get herself more. That’s when Johnny Bobbitt Jr. came to her rescue. The homeless vet sits at the curb with a sign most days. He knew better than anyone that the neighborhood wasn’t safe, especially not for a young woman alone.
“He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong,” Kate recounted. “He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors. A few minutes later, he comes back with a red gas can. Using his last 20 dollars to make sure I could get home safe.”
Kate was so relieved, but she didn’t have any way to repay him at the time, but she promised she would.
“Johnny did not ask me for a dollar, and I couldn’t repay him at that moment because I didn’t have any cash, but I have been stopping by his spot for the past few weeks,” she said. “I repaid him for the gas, gave him a jacket, gloves, a hat, and warm socks, and I give him a few dollars every time I see him.”
Still, the 27-year-old woman wanted to do more to help him, so she decided to start a fundraising campaign.
“I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page. “I truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him.”
She set a goal for $10,000 and soon she had $1700 to give him. She and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, shared the news with Johnny (this being prior to the amazing goal they would soon achieve), and she caught the moment on video.
They didn’t know where the fundraising would go, but no one expected it to blow up as it did. Within 13 days, Kate had raised over $330,000!
“It blew up,” Kate told BBC Radio.
Kate and Johnny plan on using the money to get him housing, transportation, and to pay off his debts. It’s an incredible story, but Johnny says that he doesn’t think he did anything anything all that special and says that people help him every day. He was just doing the same thing that others do for him.
Bobbit became homeless because of problems with drugs and money, the Philly Inquirer reported. A friend of his from North Carolina said that the 34-year-old was a talented paramedic and smart enough to become a doctor. But Johnny admits poor decisions lead him to a life on the streets.
But Johnny’s small act of kindness has snowballed into a chance at a new life for Johnny. “I’m blown away by it,” Johnny told the BBC. “I’m happy I’m getting a second chance at life.”
You can hear more of their radio interview together in the video below.
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