Theft is a serious crime. Especially when it involves $2 taken from a public water fountain, apparently.
Police in Bellefontaine, Ohio charged a woman with theft for allegedly taking change from that public fountain earlier this month. Authorities say they found Deidre Romine, unemployed and suffering from a mental disability, near or in the Logan County Courthouse fountain when an officer asked her what she was doing.
He searched her and discovered the $2.87 worth of change in her pockets.
“Soon as the cop asked me what I was doing, and I was afraid to tell him,” Romine told 10TV.
“The money didn’t belong to anybody so I just took it out of there.” Romine admitted in a TV interview later, though the officer, who Romine described as nice, disagreed; he charged her with petty theft and issued her a summons for a court appearance.
“I’m trying to feed myself,” Romine said. “And I’ve got four cats I’m raising and I’m trying to feed them. I might go to jail.”
In response to the ridiculous charge, members of the community have rallied to show their support for Romine, raising nearly $1,000 in donations.
“You know, I am trying to find a job,” Romine told ConnecttoHome last week. “I’ve been trying to find a job. I am filling out applications all the time. No one will hire me.”
“People do this every year,” she added. “They throw coins in the fountain. I’ve never done this before (taken any out). I will never do it again. I didn’t know it was wrong. It was mostly pennies in there…It’s just been a really rough year. I haven’t worked. I am trying the best I can.”
Damn, is it safe to say the police took it way too far for the wrong thing (per usual)?
SOURCE: Gawker | PHOTO CREDIT: Screengrab
