Staff Report
NEWBERRY, Fla. – Authorities have detained 20-year-old Evan Hunter Hammock from Gainesville after he allegedly broke into a residence, vandalized it with barbecue sauce, and subsequently, a fire erupted in the dwelling. Potential arson charges are under consideration.
Around 5:47 a.m. on November 27, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to a Newberry home following reports of a fire. Upon arrival, it was discovered that Hammock had purportedly broken into the home earlier in the evening. He allegedly removed various condiment bottles and jars from the refrigerator and smeared their contents across the walls, furniture, and a bed. Two of these substances were identified as barbecue sauce, corresponding to containers found discarded on the house floor.
Following the alleged break-in and vandalism, Hammock reportedly called 911 to report the fire. When deputies arrived, they found Hammock in the driveway, with soot visible on his face and around his nostrils, indicating he was inside the house during the fire. Additionally, his clothing bore stains consistent with the barbecue sauce identified at the scene.
Initially, Hammock claimed he had spent the night at a nearby residence. According to his account, while on the back porch, he detected the smell of an electrical fire, prompting him to sprint to the house to assist the homeowner. He stated he forced open the front door and encountered thick, black smoke, which led him to crawl inside, searching for occupants. Hammock said he attempted to combat the fire using a fire extinguisher.
Upon contacting the homeowner, deputies learned she had relocated to another residence. The homeowner and a witness showed the deputies multiple missed calls from Hammock on their phones in the hour preceding the fire’s report. Furthermore, a witness possessed a video sent by a neighboring homeowner capturing Hammock inside the house before the fire ignited. The video, focusing on the floor, showed boots matching those Hammock wore when questioned by deputies. Brown liquid was visible on the floor, and an accompanying text message reportedly read, “[Hammock’s] off the rails. He’s trashing [the homeowner’s] house.”
When confronted about the calls and the video, Hammock reportedly admitted, post Miranda, that he had poured condiments inside the homeowner’s house but said this type of “prank” was “common” among his group of friends; he claimed that the homeowner or witness had previously put tuna in his truck.
The homeowner and witness denied that they had ever done anything like that and said this type of activity was not common in their group of friends.
Hammock reportedly repeated, post Miranda, that he had forced his way into the home after noticing a fire, but the deputy noted that there was no damage to the house’s doors.
The damage to the house from the condiments was estimated at about $3,000, but that does not include damage from the fire and smoke.
The State Fire Marshal is investigating the fire, and arson charges may be filed when that investigation is complete.
Hammock has been charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and property damage over $1,000. He has no local criminal history. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
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.
