Community Corner

Discredited Waitress' Wounded Warrior Donation Can't Be Verified

Dayna Morales said she planned to donate the money she received after claiming she was stiffed on a tip for being gay, which the customers have since denied.

In the days following Dayna Morales' claim that she'd been stiffed on a tip by diners at the Gallop Asian Bistro because she is gay, she said hundreds of supporters had stopped by or sent money to her—funds she vowed to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project

The ex-Marine, reportedly dishonorable discharged after failing to show up for drills, told NJ.com on Nov. 18 that she wouldn't be keeping any of the money, saying she planned to send it to the Wounded Warrior Project.

But as of Wednesday, the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that supports veterans returning from overseas duty, could not confirm Morales had made any donations.  

A Wounded Warrior representative checking for donations by her name and the ZIP codes for Bridgewater, where the restaurant is located, and Bedminster, where Morales said she lives, was unable to find any matching donations. 

The donations may have been made from a different ZIP code, or by a third-party, the representative said.

Morales could not be reached for comment.

After a family disputed Morales' claim, she has been suspended by the restaurant, which is investigating the incident.

Friends and former co-workers in New York said Morales has a history of lying, claiming Hurricane Sandy severely damaged her home and sent a boat into her living room, according to The Journal News. However, the home only suffered minor damage, the article reported.

Morales also claimed to have been deployed in Afghanistan where her entire platoon was killed except her, according to the article. However, a spokesman for the Marines told The Journal News Morales was deployed to Romania and there is no record of her being in Afghanistan, the article said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here