Gainesville man arrested for stealing tip jar and making a false police report

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Bennett Stringfellow, 21, was arrested early this morning after allegedly stealing a tip jar from Gyros and Grill; after an employee chased him down and took his phone, he allegedly made a false police report that his phone was stolen.

At about 2:40 a.m. on October 25, Stringfellow reportedly approached Gainesville Police Department officers in the 1000 block of West University Avenue, claiming that he had been robbed. He reportedly said he had been physically attacked and his phone had been stolen by the unknown attacker, who then fled. He said he could not remember exactly where it happened, but he provided a general area.

When officers escorted Stringfellow to the general area, they were approached by an employee of Gyros and Grill (826 W. University Avenue), who said he had chased Stringfellow out of the store after Stringfellow took the tip jar.

The employee reportedly told the officer that Stringfellow had entered the restaurant and placed an order, and while he was waiting, he kept looking at the tip jar; after Stringfellow got his food, he stood near the tip jar, and when employees were distracted, he allegedly grabbed the tip jar and ran.

The employee said he chased Stringfellow and managed to take his phone, which caused Stringfellow to stop and say, “I need that.” However, he said, Stringfellow started running again and later returned to the restaurant with a police officer, claiming the employee had stolen his phone.

The officer reported that Stringfellow spontaneously stated that he had stolen the tip jar and had then run away with it. Stringfellow reportedly said the same thing after acknowledging his Miranda rights.

The officer reported that the tip jar was not recovered because although Stringfellow told the officer where he had left it, it was not there. No money was found on Stringfellow, and the exact amount of money in the tip jar is unknown.

Stringfellow has been charged with theft and making a false police report. He has no local criminal history, and Judge William Davis released him on his own recognizance.

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.