Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Richard David Hunnicutt Jr., 53, was arrested yesterday after police said he stole money from a former employer where he had recently been fired for stealing tips.
According to a Gainesville Police Department report, a manager arriving to open Playa Bowls at 1260 SW 5th Avenue on August 17 discovered that $950 was missing from the safe and that the business’s surveillance cameras had been covered with spray paint.
An officer reviewed nearby security footage and reported that at about 11:14 p.m. on August 16, a person wearing a monkey suit and a white mask appeared in the parking garage leading to the restaurant’s back entrance. As the person neared the door, he removed the mask, revealing his face. The man walked away when a vehicle approached, then returned and spray-painted the Playa Bowls security camera with black paint. Police said he then used the code to retrieve the key from the lock box, entered through the back door, approached a camera inside the business, and spray-painted that camera as well.
The parking garage manager reportedly identified the person in the footage as Hunnicutt. The officer also noted that Hunnicutt’s Instagram account included a video showing him wearing the same white mask. Hunnicutt was taken into custody at his residence on August 18.
A Playa Bowls manager told police that Hunnicutt had recently been terminated for stealing tips, but the lock box code and safe combination had not been changed after his firing.
The damage to the two cameras is estimated at approximately $600.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Hunnicutt reportedly admitted that he stole the money and damaged the cameras, telling officers that “times are tough and bills needed to be paid.” He allegedly said that after entering the garage, he saw a vehicle and became “spooked,” prompting him to remove the mask so he would not look “suspicious.” He reportedly said he used the money to pay his utility bill and car payment, disposed of the mask and monkey suit in woods near Hawthorne, and showed officers shoes that matched those seen in the surveillance 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.
