Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a bizarre twist of fate, a former employee, Richard David Hunnicutt Jr., 53, found himself behind bars after being accused of stealing money from a safe at his previous workplace. This arrest comes on the heels of an earlier dismissal for allegedly pilfering employee tips.
According to reports from the Gainesville Police Department, a startling discovery was made on August 17, when a manager at Playa Bowls, located at 1260 SW 5th Avenue, uncovered an unsettling scene. Missing from the safe was $950, and the security cameras had been defaced with spray paint, rendering them inoperative.
Upon digging deeper, officers reviewed nearby security footage. Around 11:14 p.m. on August 16, a figure clad in an unusual monkey suit and a white mask was captured on video. This person was seen navigating a parking garage leading to Playa Bowls’ rear entrance. In a telling moment, the individual removes the mask in view of the cameras before retreating as a vehicle passes. The person later returns, obscuring the camera lens with spray paint. Access was gained to the building using a code to withdraw a key from the lockbox, followed by entry through the rear door and further vandalizing of internal cameras.
The revelation came when the parking garage manager identified the masked intruder as Hunnicutt. Confirmation was bolstered by Hunnicutt’s Instagram account, which featured a video of him sporting the identical white mask. Subsequently, authorities arrested Hunnicutt at his home on August 18, closing the loop on a rather extraordinary case.
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.