Justice for Justice? Man wants ring, furniture back

An Olivehurst woman has 30 days to return the $3,673 diamond wedding ring — as well as furniture — she received from a Modesto-area man, a Yuba County Superior Court judge says.

Tomeka Justice, 34, said the man she's known since high school gave her the ring as a gift, and that the two were never going to be married.

"I'm not giving back anything," Justice said Monday after the decision by Judge Julia Scrogin in the small claims court case. Justice said she plans to appeal the decision.

"I told him not to waste his money on a ring," Justice said of Matthew G. Crocker, 35, who took her to small claims court for the ring and furniture that Crocker said are worth $7,106.

Justice said she tried to return the ring, but Crocker declined to take it. Justice said she later pawned the ring and received $930 she needed for car repairs. Crocker paid too much for the ring, she said.

"He got ripped off," Justice said.

Crocker disputed that, saying the diamonds are certified. He said that he and Justice planned to marry, had talked about it for more than a decade, but a mutual breakup in December ended their relationship.

"She's not the same person I've known for 18 years," Crocker said. "She's changed."

Justice grabbed a bottle of Windex and started spraying him with it when he went to her home to try and retrieve furniture, Crocker said.

Justice sought a court order in March to stop what she said was harassment by Crocker.

She said Crocker thought he could come into her home and take furniture he bought her as a gift. Justice said she told him he needed to take her to court to get back the furniture.

Justice said she was wrongly arrested for corporal injury after biting Crocker in an effort to protect her home and herself.

"I'm disabled with two screws in my hip," she stated.

Justice noted a neighbor was prepared to testify that he had not seen Crocker at Justice's apartment despite the man's claim he was going to marry Justice.

Dolan Gresham, 27, said his front door is parallel to the entrance to Justice's apartment.

"I've never seen this guy," Gresham said of Crocker.

The case is scheduled to return Dec. 7 to small claims court.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ryan McCarthy at 749-4707 or rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com.