ONLY ON 3: WPD officer raises money to help woman sleeping on bus stop benches

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington police officer went above and beyond the call of duty.

Ofc. Megan O’Bryan said last week she responded to a call Wednesday night and found a woman who had been sleeping on a bus stop bench.

“I was called out to Walmart to the bus stop about some homeless people out there. Miss Luberta was out there,” O’Bryan said. “She stated she was fine, she had been sleeping on the bus stop benches.”

O’Bryan said she used her own money to put the woman, Luberta Stovall, 69, in a hotel and got her food.

“We just weren’t able to find a facility to take her at that time due to the late hour, so I ended up putting her up in a hotel out of my own pocket just so she wouldn’t be sleeping on a bench that night,” O’Bryan said.

She said Luberta has dementia, and she recently moved to Wilmington from Texas. O’Bryan said she thinks she was living on the streets in Texas as well.

Since that night O’Bryan said she has made it her mission to make sure Luberta wouldn’t spend anymore nights on a bus stop bench.

“I like to help people it’s one of the reasons I got into this field,” O’Bryan said.

And now O’Bryan is asking for help through the “Luberta and the Lady Cop Fund” GoFundMe page.

“We’re hoping to get it out so we can find a solution that is not temporary but permanent,” said O’Bryan.

In the meantime the officer is looking for permanent housing for Luberta as she continues to check-in on her and bring her food.