Staff Report

NEWBERRY, Fla. – A Gainesville man, Evan Hunter Hammock, 20, has been taken into custody following an unusual break-in that resulted in a fire. Authorities allege Hammock entered a Newberry residence early yesterday, vandalized it with barbecue sauce, and may now face arson charges.

Events unfolded at approximately 5:47 a.m. on November 27, when an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to the scene following reports of a fire. Upon investigation, it was revealed that Hammock had allegedly broken into the house during the night. He reportedly raided the refrigerator, taking various condiments, and proceeded to smear their contents across the walls, couches, and a bed. The deputy identified the presence of barbecue sauce, correlating with containers discovered on the house floor.

Following the alleged break-in and vandalism, Hammock is said to have called 911 to report the fire. When law enforcement arrived, Hammock was found in the driveway, with soot marks on his face and around his nostrils, suggesting he had been inside during the fire. His clothing also bore stains that appeared to match the barbecue sauce used in the incident.

Initially, Hammock claimed he had been staying at a nearby house and had rushed over upon smelling “an electrical fire.” He described running “knees-to-chest” to aid the homeowner, allegedly kicking in the front door only to be met by “straight black” smoke. Hammock stated he crawled through the residence, attempting to locate anyone inside and used a fire extinguisher in a bid to control the flames.

Deputies contacted the homeowner, who said she had moved to a different home; she and a witness showed deputies their phones, which had multiple missed phone calls from Hammock in the hour before the fire was reported. The witness also reportedly had a video that the owner of the neighboring home sent him, showing Hammock inside the house before the fire. The camera was pointed at the floor and showed boots that were identical to the boots Hammock was wearing when he spoke with deputies. Brown liquid could also be seen on the floor, and the text message accompanying the video reportedly said, “[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.