Homeless wrongfully terminated GoFundMe: Dollar General's Jessie Soto launches fundraiser after shoplifter mowing video goes viral

Jessie Soto, the woman in the viral Dollar General video, launched a fundraiser campaign on GoFundMe on May 30, 2023, saying she was fired from her job. Earlier in May, doorbell security footage captured 35-year-old Jessie hitting a cyclist with her car.

On the GoFundMe page, Jessie explained how she worked as the cashier at Dollar General, but the store laid her off after she chased the alleged shoplifter from the viral video and confronted him.

In the footage, after Jessie mowed down the cycle, the items from the basket of the two-wheeler scattered around the ground, which included cheese, chips, bologna, bread, doughnuts, and more. The incident reportedly took place in Fresno, California. The video was first shared on TikTok by @efern77 on May 12, and the user claimed that it was recorded on their ring security camera.

Jessie Soto has set her fundraiser goal of $20,000, among which she has been able to raise $14,008 so far. She also added in the fundraiser title that the store wrongfully terminated her.

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Jessie Soto says she previously warned the shoplifter at Dollar General

The ex-employee of the variety store shared a long message on her fundraiser page. Jessie wrote that she stopped the shoplifter at the store from repetitively stealing as he was there a week before she chased him down. She said that she did her best as a cashier and went beyond her limits to provide excellent customer service.

Jessie further claimed that she did not mean any harm to the shoplifter and would have also paid for his food if he only asked. The 35-year-old shared that she was trying to get away from a toxic relationship and was living in her car, so she was going through a lot lately.

She went to live in a Poverello house on February 8 and was hit by a car, which caused her to take off for the entire March. She mentioned that her customers also inquired about her while she was in recovery.

Jessie claimed to have even covered for someone else’s shift and said that she loved her job at Dollar General and hoped to grow. However, she was suspended and terminated. The ex-employee also wrote that she was working three part-time jobs and currently suffers from PTSD due to the stress at home.

While speaking about the alleged shoplifter, Jessie said that the guy always used the side emergency door to enter the shop. She previously warned the suspect not to come back to the Dollar General store and that the next time she was going to catch him.

On June 3, Jessie added on her fundraiser page that she was uplifted by the encouraging words she received from people. She said that this particular shoplifter called her a “b*tch.” Though she did not give away his name on social media, Jessie wrote that she gave his name to Dollar General.

However, she expressed her disappointment by saying that she worked so hard for the company, followed all the rules for just a small paycheck, and received no benefits in return. Rather, she was fired for not obeying just one rule, which was standing up for the company and putting a stop to stealing.

On June 5, she updated on GoFundMe again and wrote that she appreciated the positive messages and donations. However, she was also saddened by some hate messages, calling her “fat” and “ugly.” Jessie said that they also wrote that they wanted her in jail for manslaughter. She later mentioned in the update that she was a mother of two kids.

Jessie also asked donors to reach out to her via calls, messages, or emails and said that she was responding to everyone.