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Woman rings doorbells in the middle of the night in Orange County, neighbors say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — People in an East Orange County neighborhood told Channel 9's Samantha Manning that an unwanted visitor who has been ringing their doorbells late at night has them worried for their safety.

Homeowners said a woman, who appears to be intoxicated, is going door-to-door, along Abbey Avenue in Wedgefield, asking for money.

Some people told Eyewitness News that they were told a report could not be filed because it's not a crime to ring a doorbell and ask for money. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told Eyewitness News that it could be considered suspicious activity because of how late it was when she rang those bells.

Lindsay Jenkins said the unexpected visitor stopped by her house at 3 a.m. Monday.

"My doorbell rang about a dozen times in a row,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said the ringing woke up her two children and her husband.

"I was thinking the worst. But when I looked out the window and saw that tan car I'm like, “Something's not right. It's 3 a.m. This isn't normal,’” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said when she opened the door the woman claimed she needed money for gas because of a family emergency.

"(She was) saying her daughter had died and that she needed toll money to get to her in Ocala,” Jenkins said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said it does not have any reports about the suspicious activity, but some homeowners said they did report it to the sheriff’s office.

Jenkins told Eyewitness News that while she didn't call law enforcement, she plans to do so if the woman comes back.

"You never know who she has with her. If she has people hiding or in her car or behind bushes or down the street. You don't know and that's what's scary,” Jenkins said.