Florida Man Sentenced After Using Rock to Rob Taco Bell, Climbing Through Drive-Thru Window and Chasing Employees
OCALA, FLORIDA — A Florida man is headed to state prison after authorities say he used a large rock as a weapon, climbed through a Taco Bell drive-thru window, and chased terrified employees around the parking lot while demanding money.
Late-Night Robbery at Ocala Taco Bell
Kewarren Anderson, 40, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for an armed robbery that occurred shortly after midnight on July 8 at a Taco Bell located at 2380 SW College Road in Ocala.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers responded around 12:30 a.m. after reports of a robbery in progress. Witnesses told police a man with his shirt wrapped around his head entered the restaurant through the drive-thru window, armed with a large rock, and demanded cash.
Employees Chased Out of Store
Investigators said Anderson chased employees out of the restaurant and around the parking lot, still holding the rock and repeatedly demanding money. The workers managed to escape without injuries, and Anderson fled the scene on foot without taking any cash.
K-9 Tracks Suspect to Nearby Dumpster
Officers from the Ocala Police Department deployed a K-9 unit, which tracked the suspect to a dumpster at a nearby business.
Police said employees positively identified Anderson as the robber. During questioning, Anderson admitted he was at the Taco Bell with a rock during the robbery attempt, telling officers he was homeless and needed money.
Anderson, who is also known by the nickname “Tony the Tiger,” was arrested and has remained behind bars since.
No Contest Plea and Credit for Time Served
On Thursday, Anderson pleaded no contest to armed robbery. He was adjudicated guilty and received credit for nearly 200 days already served in jail while awaiting sentencing.
Additional Jail Assault Charge
While incarcerated, Anderson was involved in another violent incident. Prosecutors said he kicked and slapped a corrections officer while fighting with another inmate.
Anderson also pleaded no contest to battery by a person in a detention facility. That sentence will run concurrently with his four-year prison term for the Taco Bell robbery.
Case Closed, Workers Safe
Although no money was stolen, authorities said the case highlights the dangers faced by late-night food service workers and the seriousness of using any object as a weapon during a robbery.
Anderson is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence in Florida state prison.
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