I find girls with a naturally flirty personality are so confusing fuck

‘You’re cute’

‘You’re gorgeous’

‘That’s what I love about you xx’

‘Babe’

‘What u doing for valentines? ‘

‘Thats sexy’

WHAT DO YOU MEANNNN???

An ABC News headline succinctly summed up the the conundrum surrounding a local Emmy award-winning newscaster in the Sacramento region: TV Reporter Sabrina Rodriguez Accused in Handbag Shoplifting Plot

Ironically, the charges of theft brought against Ms. Rodriguez is in great  contrast with stories she reported on re: the dangers of shoplifting and how it affects the local community.

As bad as this press is for Ms. Rodriguez and her professional image & career, this wasn't what peaked my interested when I read the article in my local newspaper, The Sacramento Bee.

Notwithstanding the awful state of these allegations brought against Ms. Rodriguez (and the fact that the people whom she worked with/for - the media - really threw her under the "newsvan" on this one) but note that she and her EX-FIANCÉ (bolded and capitalized to bring attention to)

...conspired in a brazen shoplifting scheme that...netted $200,000 in merchandise in a two-month span, according to court records.

Okay, so Ms. Rodriguez hooks up with this guy and they attempt to commit some pretty outrageous and ostentatious crimes and were (supposedly) caught. 

Pretty bad eh?  The rabbit hole goes deeper.

Rodriguez is out on $10,000 bail, while the ex-fiancé, Nicholas Gray, remains in the Sacramento County jail facing charges of grand theft, burglary and conspiracy, as well as charges of drug possession and manufacture and causing a blaze that destroyed the couple’s south Sacramento home in May. Court records indicate the blaze and explosion were caused by Gray manufacturing hash oil from marijuana.

and

Court records show Gray, 30, has prior convictions for burglary, resisting an executive officer, felony stalking and felony transportation of marijuana.

It appears that Mr. Gray had (a few) run-ins with the law prior to this big one involving Ms. Rodriguez.  Clearly, he is not a saint.  But that's not even the point.

Had enough?  No?  Well here's the icing on the cake:

Court records also quote him as admitting “that while he was in college (approximately 10 years ago) he committed a home invasion robbery where he used a gun to steal a rival drug dealer’s marijuana. The defendant also admitted committing numerous additional residential burglaries.”

It's pretty clear that Ms. Rodriguez is a hard-working, intelligent young woman who once had an incredible future ahead of her in broadcast journalism.

And that really baffled me when I read/heard that she was not only brought up on these charges, but involved and ENGAGED with a man with a jaw-dropping rap sheet (and he continues to be so shamefully proud of his "accomplishments"!)

One would think that all the warning signs were in place and that these kinds of things would come to light (to some degree)...enough to tell any gal to get out of Dodge with this kind of guy before participating in a committed, exclusive relationship (much less even giving him a second thought).

So then the question must be asked...within the context of romantic relationships, what is it that women want? 

Because clearly...personal intelligence, education, and vocational success are not the silver bullets to safeguard against poor romantic choices & decisions.