Last week, a TikTok video posted by a college student named Sanai Graden went viral after she helped a homeless man who simply asked for a cup of hot tea.
Graden was vlogging her day when she was approached by Alonzo Douglas Herbon. Instead of just getting him tea, she listened to him as he opened up about being homeless and sick with prostate cancer. She took him to the pharmacy to get his medicine and even paid for him to spend a night at a hotel.
Over the week, she has documented the ways that she has helped him and the bond that they created, now calling each other ‘Unc’ and ‘Niece.” People in the comments eventually asked her to set up a GoFundMe page for him so that they could all pitch in to help Herbon buy new clothes and shoes, schedule doctor’s appointments, and eventually permanent housing. In just a few days over $400,000 was raised.
However, this week a woman has come forward with her story when she was allegedly assaulted by Herbon. In 2020, Hebron allegedly put a scarf over the unnamed woman’s face while she was sleeping and punched her face and body several times, the NY Post reported.
The woman claims that Herbon is known in the homeless community around D.C. for being abusive telling Fox 5 D.C., “I do not understand how a human being can act like this. He’s a sociopath. He does not have a sense of remorse.”
Although Harbon allegedly has a troubled past, the woman does not fault Graden for answering Harbon’s call for help a week ago saying, “She meant well, and I do applaud her for that. I know it was a lot of work for her to do so, but portraying him as something he just simply isn’t…”
According to Fox 5, Herbon has been in trouble with the law several times from robberies to assaults. One incident that occurred in 2012 was when Herbon stabbed a man in the neck with a screwdriver and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Some social media commentators have said that Herbon is still entitled to medical help and human compassion despite his previous actions. One commenter named Dawn Herbal wrote, “Everyone deserves second chances even Unc!” Another person named Teshra B said, “God sent you to bless him for a reason, regardless of his past.”
Others have turned to make sure that Graden benefits from her guardian angel ways, even though she told people she wasn’t helping Herbon in order to get anything in return. A GoFundMe page was created for her to fund her education and other endeavors and has since raised over $20,000.
