The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A woman who was unhappy with the work she had done on her nails at a salon walked out of the business without paying, and when an employee grabbed on to her automobile she began to drive with him still hanging on to the vehicle.
Charley Fowler is a 28-year-old woman who resides in Valparaiso, Indiana, and she works in the field of social work.
On Saturday afternoon, Fowler went to the Diamond Nails & Spa to have a manicure, and she was not satisfied with the results.
Fowler expressed her displeasure and allegedly refused to pay the $30 she was billed for the service. In an effort to try to rectify the situation the salon workers offered to redo the work so that she might be satisfied. Fowler reportedly said that she would be unable to stay due to her busy schedule that day, but that she could return on Sunday.
This arrangement was not acceptable to the salon employees, as Fowler allegedly refused to pay for the work that was already done, and they decided to notify the authorities and ask for their assistance with the dispute.
Fowler then reportedly walked out of the establishment and returned to her vehicle. Before police arrived the employees of the salon followed Fowler to the parking lot and approached her while she was sitting in her BMW.
As Fowler started to pull out of the parking spot one of the employees jumped on top of the hood of her car resulting in his being dragged by the vehicle while it was in motion.
When the officers arrived at the salon Fowler was taken into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor criminal recklessness, and misdemeanor theft.
During an investigation into the details surrounding the incident, police were able to review the surveillance video recording from the time that Fowler was inside of the salon up until she exited, allegedly showing that she did leave the establishment without paying what she owed.
A second video which was collected from a restaurant located close to the salon captured Fowler in her car in the parking lot after she left the salon. After watching that footage the authorities decided against pursuing the charge of criminal recklessness.
Fowler had reportedly stated that she went to her car to wait for the police to arrive and that she only began to pull out when the workers at the salon began to hit her car. She said that she drove slowly and moved to a different spot while for the authorities to get there.
Her attorney disclosed that he believes the video captured by the restaurant may contain proof of her claim which could be the reason that Fowler was not charged with criminal recklessness.
As of Wednesday, a hearing has not yet been scheduled to pursue the theft charge against Fowler, and the decision to move forward with the case is pending the decision of the County Prosecutor who has stated that he will review the video recordings first.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.