Texting Fountain Lady Sues, Has Criminal Record
The texting fountain lady has filed suit in court, but this isn't the first time she's been in a court of law, CBS reports. Cathy Cruz Marrero, now known throughout the internet at the "fountain lady," was texting and walking during her break at a Pennsylvania mall when she walked right into a fountain.
Video of the incident has been seen by nearly 2 million people online and now Marrero has sued. Now ABC15.com reports that just hours after appearing on "Good Morning America," Marrero appeared in court to face charges of five felony counts, including theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
CBS reports that in October 2009, the 49-year-old allegedly used a co-worker's credit card to buy $5,000 worth of merchandise. One of the stores cited in court documents is the one in which Marrero and the co-worker are both employed -- in the mall where Marrero fell in the fountain.
As for the video, apparently the fountain lady tumble was recorded on mall surveillance. After the incident, a mall security person allegedly recorded the video by holding his cell phone in front of the surveillance monitor, ABC News reports. Minutes later, the fountain lady video was posted to YouTube where it went viral.
Cathy Cruz Marrero is not happy about that. She says that she has been humiliated and embarrassed. Her primary theory is that it was illegal to make the video public. Her secondary theories are that mall staff failed to help her out of the fountain, or ask if she was okay.
However, it seems that she didn't think things completely through. Marrero is facing a felony charge, after all.
She had been ordered to repay the money but had failed to do so. This doesn't automatically defeat her lawsuit, but it certainly doesn't make her look any better.
Related Resources:
- Fountain Lady: 'Nobody Went to My Aid' (ABC News)
- More Than Hot Coffee: Debunking Myths About Personal Injury Verdicts (FindLaw)
- Java World? Starbucks Sued Over Hot Tea (FindLaw's Injured)