Whoever said that love was dead clearly never heard of this Michigan couple who got engaged on December 30 of last year. In a scene right out of the premiere of NBC’s new series Superstore, 25-year-old William J. Cornelius Jr. proposed to his 20-year-old unnamed girlfriend at a Bay City Walmart with a $29.62 ring (also purchased at Walmart), by having a customer service employee read a proposal note over the loudspeaker system. In surveillance footage that was later shown to authorities, bystanders applauded as she said yes and they hugged and kissed in front of everyone.
Unfortunately, their evening did not end there. To celebrate, Cornelius took his brand new fiancee to the mall to do some shopping, and then things kind of went off the rails. Shortly after, police were called to a Spencer’s Gifts at the Bay City Mall by store employees who complained that a man and woman had been shoplifting in the store.
Deputies who arrived on the scene found the woman being trailed by a store employee in the parking lot, who refused to give up her man. But it wasn’t long before authorities were able to pinpoint the location of Prince Charming.
Deputies later located Cornelius sleeping in the mall’s food court, apparently having fallen asleep at a table while tying his shoes, court records show. They awoke Cornelius and searched him, finding on him a watch, an edible thong, a sex toy, panties, and sex candy from Spencer’s valued at a total of $80.93, court records show.
In true romantic fashion, Cornelius told police that he had stolen the loot for his fiancee to celebrate their engagement, and that maybe he was also under the influence of prescription drugs from a recent hospital stay. You know what they say, third-degree retail fraud may be punishable by up to 93 days in jail, but love lasts forever.
(Via MLive)