A Batavia, New York, woman—busted for engaging in a sex act in a public park months ago—is now paying for a separate alleged crime of stealing food from South Beach Restaurant.
The South Beach Restaurant’s owner apparently offered up a “plea deal” of sorts, agreeing not to press criminal charges if the woman, in turn, agreed to wear large signs pertaining to her guilt in the buffet theft. Desperate people will do desparate things—and bizarre people will propose those desperate things. The restaurant owner’s idea of justice: requiring Suzanne Corona to carry a sign outside on the sidewalk, in front of the Main Street restaurant in New York state, to publicly admit her “guilt” in food theft from his restaurant.
It’s unclear as to how the New York restaurant’s owner believes the bizarre “requirement” he’s made of Corona is going to provide him—or the restaurant—with any positive PR. If Corona fails to comply with the Agreement, Mistler’s threatening a felony.
Corona is already battling unrelated, non-violent legal charges. The sign-carrying woman, made unfortunate media headlines earlier in 2010, when allegedly caught engaging in a sex act in a Batavia public park--with a man who was not her husband. Suzanne Corona had been charged with adultery after the sex act scandal, the legal charge later dropped from New York courts. She remains one of the few women charged with adultery in New York state, following sexual activities on a picnic table at Ferrell Park. Corona did plead guilty to public lewdness over the sex acts, sentencing for that charge having been adjourned until late November.
Mistler claims Corona allegedly entered his New York-based, South Beach Restaurant in late September: the woman, he says, filled plastic baggies with food from his restaurant’s buffet, then placed the stolen food into her purse. When confronted, the woman allegedly “returned” the “stolen” food, dumping contents from her purse back into the open South Beach Restaurant’s buffet area.
The New York restaurant’s owner hasn’t (yet) filed criminal charges—instead, the woman signed a contract and Agreement with the restaurant’s owner which outlines a plan for retribution: Corona is to carry a bright yellow sandwich board style sign, reading "I STOLE AT SOUTH BEACH RESTAURANT AND WAS CAUGHT."
Maybe that’s a “sign” of where not to eat in New York. By all means, that scarlet “A” will certainly prove to “right” society—and teach a lesson, at least about not stealing from “the man”. This is not the first time that South Beach Restaurant owner, Mistler, has cut a “deal” with those he deems thieves. When owning a pet store previously, Mistler apparently arranged for a similar “plea” and accompanying signage, related to a separate man’s goal of avoiding criminal charges.
Mistler says he is just trying to send a message to anyone thinking they can steal from him-- and get away with the act.
Cost of “stolen” food: $100
Human decency: priceless