Texas holding man sought for murder in Baltimore

OLMITO, Texas — A man charged with killing his wife after blaming her death on a Baltimore panhandler is being held without bail in Texas.

Cameron County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Joe Elizardi said 52-year-old Keith Smith and his 28-yearold daughter, Valeria Smith, were arraigned Monday and agreed to be extradited. Elizardi says they are being held without bond, and Baltimore officials have until March 15 to pick them up. It’s not known if Keith Smith and Valeria Smith had attorneys who could comment for them.

When Jacquelyn Smith’s Dec. 1 death was initially reported, police said she lowered her car’s front passenger side window to give $10 to a young woman who appeared to be holding a swaddled infant and a cardboard sign reading: “Please help me feed my baby.” It was then that a man supposedly approached the car and struggled to take her wallet. According to the account, he then supposedly stabbed her and ran off along with the female panhandler.

After his wife died, Keith Smith gave numerous media interviews and lobbied Baltimore officials to pass legislation to ban panhandling at city intersections. He said he wanted the law to be named for his wife. Her death attracted national attention and prompted many to regard panhandlers warily.

But Acting Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a news conference Sunday that the story wasn’t true and announced first-degree murder charges against Jacquelyn Smith’s husband and stepdaughter.

They were arrested in Texas and were preparing to leave the country, Harrison said.