Florida woman, daughter, arrested for not paying A & G Restaurant bill, less than $20.

[madfloridian]

Their preacher paid the bill, asked the restaurant not to press charges. They pressed charges anyway.

Arrest of elderly woman for unpaid restaurant bill sparks protest


Winter Haven police said Willie Nell Lewis and her daughter, Ruththena Lewis, racked up a bill at A&G restaurant and didn’t pay for it.

Winter Haven police said Willie Nell Lewis and her daughter, Ruththena Lewis, racked up a bill at A&G restaurant and didn’t pay for it.

The charges were enough to spark a protest on Wednesday morning outside the restaurant. Protestors belonging to Lewis' church held up signs asking people not to eat at the restaurant because they had the elderly woman arrested.

According to arrest reports, the women left behind an unpaid bill of less than $20.

Joseph Lewis, a bishop at their church and a regular at the restaurant, said he stepped in and paid the bill for the women. By then, they were already in handcuffs.

“I left work and came up and asked them how much the bill was," he said. "I paid the bill and I left a tip and they said they would not press charges because the bill was paid.”

Looks like the owner went ahead with the charges against them. Looks to me like the mother thought the daughter had paid.

[phil89]

1. If you don't pay, shouldn't you be arrested?

What were those ladies thinking?

[Vashta Nerada]

5. Getting arrested for accidentally not paying your bill is both ridiculous and laughable.

I'm glad the cops are keeping dangerous criminals like Willie Nell Lewis off the streets.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. If the money was paid, should the restaurant press charges?

This is a peculiar story. The waitress claims the daughter refused to pay after the credit card had been run through the system, the mother thought the daughter had paid, a member of their church apparently DID pay the tab including a tip. At this point what is served by pressing charges on both of them? The restaurant can simply ban them and call the whole thing over.

[PoliticAverse]

10. The story does prompt additional questions. n/t

[Iggo]

7. No.

[joeybee12]

2. Well, the waitress is saying they asked and they refused...

so there's that...and my prejuidice is that a "bishop" from their church stepped in...reminds me of that "bishop" who stiffed a waitress and said she worked for God and did more than the waitress did.

[theHandpuppet]

3. Evade millions in taxes, bilk the American people for billions...

... get a nice bonus.

Not able to pay your $20 restaurant bill? Go directly to jail. It's the American way!

[madfloridian]

8. I was thinking along those lines myself.

I think about all the deaths and destruction from a war (an invasion) based on lies. Those responsible for all that harm done still get air time, still no charges.

[theHandpuppet]

13. And those companies responsible for poisoining WV and NC...

... no problem. Just say you can't pay and start up a new company with some patriotic-sounding name.

[PoliticAverse]

4. "they will most likely only face a fine.". n/t

[Scuba]

9. Spin alert: They "racked up" that huge bill of less than $20.00

Jamie Dimon won't use twenties to wipe his ass. He likes "Franklins" for that; heavier concentration of cocaine.

[madfloridian]

11. Such a careless sentence from the reporter...should have been proof read and edited.

"Police reports show Lewis’ daughter had her credit card ran, and then told a waitress if she ran it again she would, “Go to hell.”

[PoliticAverse]

12. Yes I thought that was very bad. Did the reporter mean the card was run and was refused ? n/t