Outraged shopper captures pregnant woman and her son begging for money... before driving off in a MERCEDES BENZZ Shopper Melissa Smith saw pregnant woman at Eastlake Village Center Joined by her young son, she was holding a sign reading 'Please help' Soon after, pair met woman's boyfriend and drove off in Mercedes Benz In outrage, Ms Smith followed car, while taking photos of license plate Vehicle is reported registered to woman with a $2,500-a-month address This is the shocking moment a shopper watched a pregnant woman and her young son beg for money - before getting into a Mercedes Benz and driving away. Melissa Smith, from San Diego, California, had witnessed the expectant mother and her child panhandling outside Eastlake Village Center every weekend for the past two weeks. Each time, they would hold a sign reading, 'Please help', and would receive money from dozens of shoppers. 'Lots of people gave them money,' Ms Smith said. Probably five people in five minutes. Begging: Shopper Melissa Smith, from San Diego, California, had witnessed this expectant mother and her child begging for money outside the city's Eastlake Village Center every weekend for the past two weeks But this week, Ms Smith was putting gas into her car when she saw the pair leave their panhandling spot and meet up with the woman's boyfriend - before driving away in a dark-colored Mercedes. 'I noticed they grabbed their little boy and they got into a Mercedes-Benz,' she told KGTV. I thought, "Wow, a Mercedes-Benz. It's not even used - it's not old. It's a new Benz."' The car appears to be an older Mercedes C320, which sold for $30,000 to $35,000 new. 248 shares In outrage, Ms Smith immediately stopped pumping gas, climbed into her own car and followed the Mercedes down the road, while snapping photos of the luxury vehicle and its license plate. 'Lo and beyond they were in front of us,' she said. Here they are counting money, laughing and their little boy is not in a car seat or seat belt. He's all the way in the front seat with them.' Ride home: This week, Ms Smith was pumping gas into her car when she saw the pair leave their begging spot and meet up with the woman's partner - before driving away in a dark-colored Mercedes Benz (pictured) Caught on camera: Ms Smith took this photo of the car as it drove toward a shopping plaza on Bonita Road Astonishingly, Ms Smith watched the car turn into a nearby shopping plaza on Bonita Road, before the pregnant woman got out, grabbed the sign and started begging again. As shoppers reached into their pockets to help her, Ms Smith started taking more photos of the woman, prompting the beggar to start shouting at her. She later sent the photos to KGTV. According to the news station, the Mercedes's license plate number is registered to a woman with an Escondidio apartment complex address, where rent costs around $2,500 a month. Shopping center: Each time the pregnant woman and her son begged at Eastlake Village Center (pictured), they would receive money from dozens of shoppers. 'Lots of people gave them money,' said Ms Smith Residents at the complex said the people the station was looking for had recently moved and a forwarding address could not be obtained. Police said the trio have not been reported by anyone else since Ms Smith's encounter. It is believed that they have not been detained nor questioned by officers. The woman, her partner and the boy thought to be her son have not been identified.