ROCHESTER — Two people have been accused of falsely claiming to be members of the family of a boy from a viral video and subject of a $340,000 online public fundraiser.

Abdirahman Omar Yusuf, 20, and Ayan Abdiweli Othowaa, 23, both of Rochester, each face felony charges of theft by swindle and theft by false representation.

According to court records, Yusuf approached police May 2, 2025, claiming to be the father of a boy who was the subject of a video posted on TikTok April 28. The video shows a man confronting the woman for calling a Black child a racial slur at Roy Sutherland Playground at Soldiers Field Park. The man filming the video challenges her to repeat it. She repeats the slur four times and makes an obscene gesture at the camera and walks away.

The video went viral and re

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