Former employee arrested for stealing from restaurant

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Richard David Hunnicutt Jr., 53, was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing money from his former employer after he was fired for stealing tips.

A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that on August 17, a manager opened Playa Bowls (1260 SW 5th Avenue) and found that $950 was missing from the safe and the video surveillance cameras were blacked out with spray paint.

An officer reviewed security cameras in the area and determined that at about 11:14 p.m. on August 16, a person in a monkey suit and white mask was seen in the parking garage that leads to the back entrance of Playa Bowls. As that person approaches the back entrance of the restaurant, he takes off the mask, and his face is visible; he walks away as a vehicle approaches, and then he returns and spray-paints the Playa Bowls security camera with black paint. The man uses the code to obtain the key from the lock box and enters the back door before approaching a camera inside the business and spray-painting it.

The manager of the parking garage reportedly recognized the man in the surveillance video as Hunnicutt, and the officer reported that Hunnicutt’s Instagram account includes a video of Hunnicutt wearing the same white mask. Hunnicutt was arrested at his residence on August 18.

A Playa Bowls manager told the officer that Hunnicutt had recently been fired for stealing tips, but the code to the lock box and the safe combination had not been changed.

The damage to the two cameras is estimated at about $600.

Post Miranda, Hunnicutt reportedly admitted to stealing the money and damaging the cameras because “times are tough and bills needed to be paid.” He reportedly said that after he entered the garage, he saw a vehicle, which “spooked” him into taking off the mask so he wouldn’t look “suspicious.” He said he spent the money on his utility bill and car payment, and he disposed of the mask and the monkey suit in some woods near Hawthorne. He reportedly showed officers shoes that matched the ones seen in the video.

Hunnicutt has been charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, grand theft, and misdemeanor property damage. He has five felony convictions (one violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). Judge William Davis set bail at $25,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.