Homeless man arrested for stealing to-go orders from fast food restaurant
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Allen Futch, 58, has been arrested for allegedly stealing to-go orders from the Raising Cane’s on SW Archer Road.
The responding Gainesville Police Department officer reported that at about 11:20 a.m. on September 14, Futch entered Raising Cane’s (3343 SW Archer Road) after a trespass warning and took two to-go orders.
The store manager reportedly told the officer that Futch is often seen in the area and “constantly steals to-go orders from Raising Cane’s.” He said he has had to tell his employees to watch out for Futch because he steals to-go orders so often.
The manager said he has verbally told Futch to leave multiple times, but Futch always ignores him and returns to the store. On September 14, the manager said, he told Futch to leave when he entered the store, but Futch grabbed two to-go orders and left before officers arrived.
Officers found Futch a few blocks away, still wearing the clothing described by the store manager; the to-go food was nearby, “eaten and rummaged through.”
Post Miranda, Futch reportedly admitted to stealing the food and said he had not eaten in a week.
Surveillance video from the store reportedly shows the manager telling Futch to leave and Futch taking the to-go orders.
Futch, who is described as homeless in court documents, has been charged with petit theft and trespassing after a warning. He has two misdemeanor convictions (one violent), and Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him released 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.Â
The dude likes his chicken. Maybe the County could start a frequent flyer homeless restaurant gift card program?
Don’t give them any ideas—between them and the City they already give away enough free stuff unless you check their boxes.
I would add, it’s past time for them and their liberal policies ‘To Go.’
Those who manage homeless resources in our area have failed miserably. I spoke with two homeless guys a few days ago and they both said they won’t go anywhere near GRACE anymore because of drug violence. They were clearly both addicts too. One of the guys, James, said he had recently been stabbed in the eye by a woman on crack there. The fairly recent eye wound was apparent.
Arrested and released. Went back to Raising Cains because they let him steal and the food is good. What’s the next recourse for the restaurant? Baseball bat?
Maybe the next three course is to have a bag there waiting for him. It would only cost a few cents for the restaurant to provide a free lunch for him and let him go on his way.
Rick, why don’t you go find him and just move him in with you and feed him all the nicest chicken you can buy?
This is so sad. People are hungry. Stealing is not the answer but if I was the manager I would offer him some food in exchange for some supervised chores in the parking lot, such as picking up trash.
If I was there as a guest, like many people,I would offer him a seat and buy him a meal.
When was the last time you bought a homeless person a meal or invited them to your home for one?
If you were there and offered him a seat, you wouldn’t be able to sit there long as the smell of BO and rotting teeth would overwhelm you to the point that you would probably no longer have an appetite. I agree that people are hungry, but they need to make better choices with their limited funds. Maybe buy food instead of alcohol, drugs, or cigs.
J/S
It’s a shame that the elected officials who wants this kind of trash in our neighborhood won’t reach out invite them to their homes once in a while for a meal to show they truly believe in what they say about helping them
With all the free food giveaways too..
You know he gets a government check and receives food stamp too!
Lock his dirty stinky ass up and put this chicken thief on work release..
Grace Marketplace is supposed to help the homeless, instead it makes the problem worse..
I saw six panhandling bums in every possible spot at 39th & Waldo a few weeks ago with their cardboard signs and dogs in the hot sun…if they can do that, they can do work, but they are lazy, dirty, drug addict, alcoholic, thriving bums… local government needs to stop pandering to them, but homelessness is big business and they take the grant money…close Grace Marketplace down and give the bums a ticket back to where they came from… I don’t mind my tax money going to incarcerate them…make the jail larger!
Why can’t someone at the store shoot him? Can’t a business protect itself from criminals?
Why are our leaders encouraging these people to come here and stay? A college town is the LAST place to ask criminals and mentally addicted homeless to take up roost. Unless you’re a lawyer, bail bondsman or virtue signaling Democrat, of course.
Truly homeless are already housed by friends and family, who expect them to help around the house until getting back on their feet. If not, then they have sense enough to leave a college town.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Modern day chicken thief himself becomes a “to go” order! 😆
Extremely poor judgement from Judge Susan Miller-Jones and a complete dereliction of duty.
Please remember the soft-on-crime judges who release criminals to terrorize and disrupt local businesses when election time comes around.
I guess Raising Canes didn’t make the proper campaign donations to buy protection from the local homeless racketeering scam? Pay up, or else GRACE drops the homeless off in front of your business and the “justice” system looks the other way.
Susan, why don’t you let this guy walk into your kitchen and help himself to whatever he likes, whenever he likes? Since apparently it’s no big deal.
Workers may have previously thought he was a food delivery gig worker.
Released on his own recognizance….No, hell no! This is a plague on business, and public order.