03-06-2025
Awkward moment 'tired' dad is mistaken for homeless person by cops as he walked with his daughter
A California dad was mistakenly identified as homeless and questioned by police while walking with his newborn daughter.
Chapman Hamborg, 33, was out on a morning walk with his daughter, Florence, on April 22 when a neighbor, concerned by his unkempt appearance, called 911 to report a possible homeless person in the area.
Hamborg, a father of four, says he takes multiple walks a day to give his wife a break.
On that particular morning, he was wearing a brown Patagonia jacket, his hair pulled back in a loose bun, with a hole in his slipper and clothes stained with paint.
When he returned home from his second walk that morning, it was his oldest son who pointed out the police car parked in front of their Huntington Beach home.
At first, Hamborg wondered if the police were called on his family, though he wasn't sure why as he and the officer met halfway down the lawn, exchanging confused looks.
'Were you going for a walk? Is this your baby? One of your neighbors saw you and thought you were homeless,' Hamborg recalled the officer asking to NBC Los Angeles.
'Nope, not homeless. Just a tired dad,' Hamborg replied.
The father was surprised the neighbors didn't recognize him, as he regularly takes his baby on walks.
'She's in her fussy newborn stage, so I take her on lots of walks in the baby carrier,' Hamborg told People. 'I go out at all times of the day - it's kind of a routine to give my wife some rest.'
After providing his ID, Hamborg, his wife, Hannah, and the officer laughed off the situation, which was captured in a now viral video.
'Apparently, I need to work on my appearance,' Hamborg joked, adding that the neighbor who called the police had even suspected he'd stolen the baby.
'I guess being an artist or a tired dad isn't a valid excuse,' he quipped.
Hamborg posted the viral moment to Instagram, where it has since garnered over 40 million views.
'POV: your neighbor calls the cops reporting a homeless man with a stolen baby!' he captioned the post.
In the wake of the mistaken identity, Hamborg launched a fundraiser by selling limited edition prints of his painting Unseen Paths, which depicts the weight of carrying one's children.
A portion of the proceeds, 20 percent, will benefit United Way of Orange County, a nonprofit that supports unhoused individuals and families.
'It's about the weight of carrying your kids - through struggles, through uncertainty, and through everyday life,' Hamborg wrote. 'For unhoused families, that challenge is even greater, but the love and responsibility remain just as strong.'
As the video continued to gain attention, many viewers questioned the neighbor's decision to call the police.
'What if you were homeless? Is it illegal to walk and have a baby and be homeless?' one user commented.
'It's mostly weird cause she assumed you were homeless and then watched you walk into a home and still called the police,' one person commented.
Another wrote: 'Parenthood literally has us all looking unhoused and unkempt.'
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Hannah & Chapman Hamborg (@thehamborgs)
Following the incident, Hamborg never received an apology from the neighbor who called the police.
Though he is unsure of her identity, he noticed her sitting in her car across from his house while he was speaking to the officer.
'I would love to meet the neighbor who called the police - not to shame her, but to thank her for being vigilant,' Hamborg said, showing an open-minded approach to the situation.
As of now, several of the 80 limited edition prints have been sold, with a portion of the funds supporting the nonprofit's mission.
