Nude Florida man accused of meat shop robbery wearing only mask
A Florida man has been accused of robbing a butcher shop while he was naked, wearing only a mask at the time, police said.
Officers with the Lake City Police Department were called to BJ’s Meat Market on Main Street on the night of Dec. 23 to investigate reports of a theft, authorities said in a news release Monday. When they arrived on scene around 8:50 p.m., store employees told them that a suspect — later identified as 24-year-old Kobe Watkins — had burst into the store while “naked except for a covered face,” according to the release.
He was allegedly caught on security cameras grabbing about $1,000 from the register before fleeing.
Watkins also had in his hand a piece of cloth wrapped around what employees believed to be a weapon, WCJB reported. Authorities also recovered “evidence” along Watkin’s “alleged route, including clothing and other property believed to be related to the incident,” police said.
He was taken into custody a short time later and charged with armed robbery, exposure of sexual organs, grand larceny and criminal mischief. He was booked into the Columbia County Detention Center after a medical evaluation.
“Incidents like this are troubling, but our officers responded quickly, secured the scene and worked with our partners to identify and arrest the suspect,” Chief Gerald Butler of the Lake City Police Department said in a statement.
“We appreciate the prompt assistance of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the cooperation of the company’s employees who helped resolve this issue safely,” he added.
No one was injured during the incident.
