A Fantastic Story About How Graffiti Artist Banksy Helped A Homeless Man

Vandal, artist, and now… Good Samaritan?

British graffiti artist Banksy reportedly saved a homeless man who was living in an abandoned water tank in California after painting on his makeshift home, according to London's The Independent.

The man, Tachowa Covington, had lived in the water tank on the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu for years, turning it into a pseudo-apartment with lights, a TV, security cameras, and pictures on the walls.

But that all changed when in 2011, when Banksy visited and painted on the phrase: "This looks a bit like an elephant."

Covington said he met Banksy when he was painting the now-famous words on the tank, according to The Independent. At the time, Covington said he thought it was funny, and had no clue who the famous British artist was.

But after the structure became a tourist attraction, a local design firm bought it from the city of Los Angeles, and Covington was forced to move from his home.

According to Covington, Banksy heard about the forced relocation of the 54-year-old former street performer, and gave him enough money to get an apartment and pay his bills for a full year.

“There ain’t no better man than Banksy,” Covington said to London's Independent. “He was an angel to me. He helped me more than anybody helped me in my life.”

Covington is now back on the street, and awaiting state-funded housing since the money has run out. He is currently the subject of a documentary called "Something from Nothing," as well as a play based on his story called "Banksy: The Room in the Elephant," according to The Daily Mail.