Limo company accused of scamming Eaton Fire victims on prom night
KCAL, KCBS, YELP, WISEGUY ENTERTAINMENT, ANGIE DI CLAUDIO, ALICE’S KIDS, HILARY RIEDMANN, CARRIE MEYERS, CNN, Yelp/WiseGuy Entertainment
By Gio Insignares
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LOS ANGELES (KCAL) — A special night meant to bring joy to students recovering from the Eaton Fire turned into a troubling case of betrayal after the limo service paid to take them to prom never showed up.
“I tried to be forgiving and not have a vengeful spirit, but that doesn’t mean you’re not held accountable for what you do,” mom Angie DiClaudio said. “Aside from being just like, a huge letdown … This wasn’t even our money. This was a nonprofit trying to help kids who lost their homes in a fire.”
The Virginia-based nonprofit Alice’s Kids , with the help of actor Steve Carell, donated roughly $175,000 to treat 800 Altadena and Pasadena students to the full prom experience, including free tickets and limousine rides. It paid Shawn Lasley, the owner of Wize Guy Entertainment, $4,000 to take more than 20 students to their prom. However, parents scrambled to find a ride for their children when the night came.
“Very nervous, horrified and disappointed,” Alice’s Kids spokesperson Hilary Riedemann said. “For him to not say anything and then to not show up, after not only we reached out to him but multiple parents did, to not show up was pretty atrocious.”
Parents like Carrie Meyers said Lasley blocked them when they tried to reach him.
“The plan is we got to make this guy suffer,” Meyers said. “He failed us. He ripped us off. Word has to get out.”
Luckily, parents called Ubers to make sure their teens still made it to prom. Despite the disappointment, everyone had a night to remember.
“It’s just like we build all this stuff up in our head,” DiClaudio said. “We want it to be the perfect night. Oftentimes it isn’t. It’s OK. Sometimes the ones you don’t expect to be are the best ones ever.
CBS News Los Angeles reached out to Wize Guy Entertainment for comment but did not receive a response.
Alice’s Kids said they are in the process of taking legal action against the limo company.
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