Chicken-Fried News: Woeful web

Once upon a time, about 10 years ago, two star-crossed lovers laid eyes on each other at Oklahoma City’s Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. Arturo Eguia-Welch — Chicken-Fried News will call him Romeo — was passing through Oklahoma City on business. Journi Lynn Bentley — known as Juliet in this tale — was serving drinks and plates of cheese fries at the country-and-Western-themed bar.

While it doesn’t appear that their families ever met or were engaged in brutal past prejudices, both Romeo and Juliet kept their new relationship on Facebook, which is really the modern masquerade ball of our time.

In 2014, Juliet joined Romeo on trips to Las Vegas, Cancun and Texas. Later that year, Juliet divorced her husband.

Following a visit by Juliet to Romeo in his home state of Minnesota in May 2014, where the two stayed in a hotel, the relationship ended.

Months later, Romeo returned to Oklahoma in attempt to reunite with his Juliet. He brought his sweet Juliet a car to replace her previous vehicle, which was wrecked. In January 2015, when Juliet wished to return the vehicle, Romeo found out about her new love interest. The relationships were once again on the rocks.

Juliet responded by filing a protective order against Romeo, who she stated entered her home without permission. Around the same time, he also sent her harassing and threatening messages.

Months later, Romeo was charged with a felony, second-degree burglary. He has pleaded not guilty, but the case is still pending.

Last year, Romeo filed a lawsuit against his Juliet, alleging that she misled him by saying she was separated and preparing to divorce her husband. Romeo believed he was “next in line” for the fair maiden’s heart. He sought $32,135 to reimburse the expenses of the trips the two shared. A Canadian County judge threw out the lawsuit. Last month, the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals let the Canadian County judge’s ruling stand.

Throughout the court battle, Juliet repeatedly said she had been honest with Romeo from the beginning. She was not interested in a relationship; just spending time together. These days, she said poor judgment and an unhappy marriage contributed to the time the two spent together. She has since learned, through a deposition of Romeo, he was also married.

At Chicken-Fried News, as we read the lovers’ tale laid out on the internet pages of NewsOK.com, we pondered, “For never was a story of more woe than of this Oklahoma Juliet and her out-of-state Romeo.”

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