Woman Falls into Fountain while Texting.. Angry; Hires Lawyer

[The King]

Hyphenated last name = Instant Bitch.


Strike three pinche whore, you're fuckin OUT!

I overlooked the hyphenated last name 'cause of the ugly face. Good call.

[Avery'sDad]

i saw that on the news this morning...ridiculous.

I saw it in some car forum in another thread.

[OreoStang]

Dumb bitch should not have been walk and texting. She got what she deserved. I hope it does get laughed out of court

[unkoricky]

wow i see now this is on yahoo homepage as a main story... i hope even more people just point and laugh at her now.

[unkoricky]

Woman who fell into fountain faces theft charges, has criminal record


The Reading woman who became an Internet sensation by falling into a fountain while sending a text on her cell phone was in Berks County Court on Thursday for a status hearing on theft-by-deception and related charges.

Cathy A. Cruz Marrero, 49, was charged in October 2009 for using a co-worker's credit cards to make more than $5,000 in purchases at two local stores.

But $1,055 of those purchases were dismissed from the case in previous hearings.

She also has several theft cases and a hit-and-run charge on her record.

Her appearance Thursday before Judge Peter W. Schmehl was shortly after she and her Reading attorney in the mall case, James M. Polyak, went on ABC's "Good Morning America" to talk about the fall into the fountain.

Her Reading attorney in the theft case, Douglas J. Waltman, said Marrero has applied for intermediate punishment, which can include restitution.

The case is pending.

He declined further comment.

Polyak said the theft charges have nothing to do with the mall case.

"Her prior personal affairs have nothing to do with what happened to her at the Berkshire Mall and the video that has been posted," Polyak said.

Polyak said he's also confused by those posting on websites accusing Marrero of staging the accident and seeking money.

"For that to be true, she would have had to known this was going to be posted to YouTube," he said.

He also noted that nothing has been filed in county court on her behalf.

"What we want is an apology," he said. "We also want to know what happened, how it happened and who is responsible and then we'll go from there."

When reached by phone, Marrero acknowledged she was in court Thursday morning.

Speaking to someone who was apparently nearby, she said, "The reporter got my court papers."

"But I have to talk to Jim (Polyak) before I talk to anybody," she added.

She declined further comment.

She has been free on $7,500 bail since she was charged.

Intermediate punishment is an alternative to jail, said Assistant District Attorney Melissa J. Noyes, the prosecutor in the case.

"She would otherwise potentially be looking at going to jail under the guidelines for sentencing," Noyes said.

During the intermediate punishment process, Marrero must submit urine samples twice a week and check in regularly with court officials, Noyes said.

"This is like practice probation," she said.

The program also includes counseling for substance abuse if needed, but that is not required in Marrero's case, Noyes said.

"She is still on track to enter a guilty plea at some point down the road assuming she complies with all the conditions," Noyes said. "She's looking for house arrest instead of going to jail."

Marrero owes $4,177 in restitution, Noyes said.

"As part of alternative sentencing, we normally ask you to pay half of restitution as a good faith showing," Noyes said. "She hasn't done that at this point. She asked the judge for more time and opportunity to come up with the money."

Her next court date is April 21.

"We'd like to see sentencing happen then," Noyes said.

Marrero is likely facing about six months of house arrest and electronic monitoring.

According to public court documents, Marrero has convictions for retail theft four times and one other theft in New York from 1997 to 1999 and retail theft in York County in 1999.

She also received 12 months of probation after being convicted of a hit-and-run charge in Berks County in 2009.

Her probation ended in October.

In the most recent theft case, according to Berks court records:

Ileana Rivera of Reading, who worked at the Zales jewelry store in the Fairgrounds Square Mall with Marrero, went to Muhlenberg Township police in October 2009 to report that Marrero had used Rivera's credit cards without Rivera's permission.

Marrero made $4,177 in purchases at Zales and $1,055 in purchases at Target in Spring Township using Rivera's cards for those stores.

The transactions occurred around the time of August 2007.

Rivera admitted she at one time had permitted Marrero to use her Target credit card to make a small purchase but did not give her permission to make other purchases.

Criminal charges regarding the $1,055 purchases at Target were dismissed in previous hearings.

In August 2007, Rivera noticed she hadn't received her Zales credit card bill and, after checking with Zales customer service, found that her address on the account was changed to that of Marrero's in the 400 block of Bingaman Court.

The same thing occurred with Rivera's Target card.

"Cruz (Marrero) changed the addresses on the accounts so that the bills would come to her and Rivera would not know about them," police said in court documents.

Marrero promised Rivera from August 2007 to September 2009 that she would make payments to Rivera, but Marrero did not.

Rivera had to make the payments to maintain her credit status.

Marrero has been the focus of worldwide publicity over the last week since videos were posted to YouTube and Facebook of her tumbling into a fountain at the Berkshire Mall while she was sending a text message on her cell phone.

Marrero, who works in a store at the Wyomissing mall, said she hired Polyak and came forward publicly to highlight the dangers of texting while walking, privacy issues and security problems at the mall.

Mall officials have not returned calls seeking comment.

The fall on Jan. 12 was caught on security camera video and was apparently posted to YouTube.

Marrero has complained that security laughed about her accident instead of checking on her well-being

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=280672

[Rick Modena]

Thats what she fucking gets, that shit is annoying as hell. If I need to shoot a text, wherever im at I stop what im doing and send it. If Im driving and I get a text you get a call and Im on my bluetooth. This texting shit is getting out of hand, i've had to use my horn like I never ever used to because people are looking down at their phone while driving, it is fucking annoying as hell not to mention dangerous. So fuck that whore, I see that shit at the mall all the time too.

[Gear_Jammer]

I thought he was a SHE?

No...I'm a HE - http://www.daltonlawfirm.net

[stevo]

No...I'm a HE - http://www.daltonlawfirm.net

What do you call 10,000 lawyers lined up on the bottom of the sea?

Stevo

[Gear_Jammer]

What do you call 10,000 lawyers lined up on the bottom of the sea?

Stevo

A good start?

[stevo]

A good start?

/rimshot

Stevo

[Moose Jr.]

Bitch should have walked out in front of a bus.

[mstng86]

Bitch should have walked out in front of a bus.

Nah, the bus driver would go to jail for manslaughter. A police officer would be more suitable. She dies and no one goes to jail.

[Zfan]

That's priceless

[butt86]

Bitch should have walked out in front of a bus.

Nah, the bus driver would go to jail for manslaughter. A police officer would be more suitable. She dies and no one goes to jail.

kinda like this.....

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Man-killed-by-DART-bus-114289624.html

[Da Prez]

stupid ass broad...