Lost romance, man chooses jail over wife

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON, United States — Ah, romance. A 70-year-old American man from Kansas robbed a bank so that he could be sent to prison to get away from his wife, court documents showed Tuesday.

“I’d rather be in jail than at home,” Lawrence Ripple told his wife Remedios after a major fight at their home in the US state, according to a court document.

So he headed to a Kansas City bank to rob it, and passed a note to a teller claiming he had a gun and demanding cash, knowing he would be getting a change of address in the deal.

When he was handed about $3,000 in cash, he did not run. He waited to be arrested, and told police he just could no longer bear living with his wife.

Ripple got his wish: He is now behind bars.

Sure, separation or divorce might have been options for other people.

Ripple just did not want to go to those scary places.

And now, at his new home, in addition to friendly new cellmates he gets meals and health care which millions of American seniors cannot afford.