Brandon Hubbert is a 27-year-old young father who likes fine clothes and is proud of his young daughter, whose portrait adorns his Facebook page. He lived on Elm Avenue in Bunnell. For a time, he worked at the Staples store on Old Kings Road in Palm Coast, before losing that job and commuting to Jacksonville for another job.
Early this morning—just after midnight—Hubbert turned himself in at the Flagler County jail on three first-degree felonies and a third-degree felony stemming from his alleged armed robbery and assault at Staples almost exactly a year ago, following an elaborate plan allegedly to stake out his former place of employment and rob the store manager just after closing time, when the money was being counted. If convicted, he could spend the next 30 years in prison.
The armed robbery, barely publicized at the time, took place the evening of Sept. 11, 2015. Flagler County detectives were able to reconstruct the events of that evening based on surveillance video, the pinging of Hubbert’s cell phone, statements from the victim, and clues Hubbert left at the scene and unwittingly revealed on his Facebook page. The following account is based on the detective’s summary in Hubbert’s arrest report.
Hubbert arrived in the area of the Staples store, at 9 Old Kings Road, at 6:36 p.m. that evening. Just before 8 p.m., he was captured on Bealls Outlet’s surveillance video walking in front of that store and heading toward Staples, wearing a gray Florida State Seminoles sweatshirt with its hoodie tight around his face. He wore blue jeans and white shoes and carried a call phone that, judging from the video, appeared “illuminated,” or in use.
One of the store employees, a 22-year-old woman, saw him walk into the store, go straight down the center aisle and head toward the back. The line of sight from the front to the back of the store is obstructed by numerous shelves.
The store closed at 9 p.m. David Miller, the 28-year-old Tech Services supervisor, was counting money in the front office, at the southwest corner of the store. Hubbert had been hiding in the back storage bay area, from where he emerged, unbeknownst to others in the store, knocking down boxes of merchandise and at one point stepping on a box and leaving behind the distinctive, waffle-patterned shoeprint and shoe size that would eventually help tie him to the alleged crime, among other evidence. He made his way to the front office, again without others in the store seeing him, entered the office and pointed a small, black, semi-automatic gun at Miller, whom he addressed by his first name: he knew him.
Hubbert ordered Miller to disconnect the store phone and place money bags into Hubbert’s book bag. He got about $1,500. Hubbert than ordered Miller to the ground and took his cell phone, preventing him from calling 911. He told him to count out loud. Hubbert than walked back out the way he came, through the store and toward the back—again without others in the store seeing him—and kicked open a rear-back door, damaging it, before fleeing the scene. Staples employees gave sheriff’s deputies his name, saying his description fit that of an employee who’d worked there two or three years before.
From there, detectives found Hubbert’s Facebook page, where he calls himself “Brandon Bigg B Hubbert,” and posted several pictures of himself wearing a sweatshirt similar to the ones seen in the Bealls surveillance video. Detectives then found his phone number by matching it to a pawn broker transaction Hubbert had conducted in Jacksonville two weeks before the robbery. Hubbert had freely given his phone number to the pawn broker at the time. That led detectives to the phone number’s cell records and pinging hits the evening of the robbery, three of which were around Staples.
Detectives interviewed him on May 10, when he acknowledged having worked at that Staples store years before, working—among other assignments —in the back storage bay. His shoes, the detective noted, matched in size and pattern the one whose imprint had been left on a box. He would not provide a reason as to his presence in the area of the store that evening or a current residency in Jacksonville, saying he often stays in hotels there. During the interview, the arrest report notes, Hubbert “showed signs of being nervous and had two outbreaks of burping.” The detective concluded he was “showing signs of deception.”
In early June detectives visited Hubbert’s mother on Elm Street in Bunnell, who told the cops that her son works in Jacksonville but still lives in Bunnell. Hubbert’s mother got on the phone and, according to the report, yelled at him and confronted him with the allegations against him. “Brandon Hubbert does not deny being involved and states that his child will be taken care of,” the report states.
A circuit judge signed the warrant for Hubbert’s arrest on Wednesday on four counts: Armed robbery, armed burglary, aggravated assault and tampering with a witness. He remains at the Flagler County jail on $110,000 bond.
It was the second arrest of an individual who’d worked at that Staples store in less than two years. In January 2015, Robert Harper, a store manager, was arrested on charges of grand theft in a defrauding scheme involving about $3,000 of the store’s money. He confessed, completed a pre-trial intervention program through the court system, and in April the charge, a third-degree felony, was dropped.
Geezer says
Brandon Hubbert obviously forgot to press the “Easy Button” prior to the robbery.
Haw Creek Girl says
This young man was raised by a very strong, wonderful woman. I promise you, this is not something he learned at home. I pray for God’s grace and mercy to surround this young man and especially his mother. Brandon, we are praying for you.
Sw says
Just dumb, your not going to get away with it. Kiss your kid goodbye, just plain sad, disheartening, WTF??
BlueJammer says
This young man chose the wrong path in life. My heart goes out to his daughter who will not have father for a very long time.
WhataShame says
What a waste of life. For $1500, and he will not see his daughter grow up. Why do people do things like this? (smh)
Oh WOW says
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY.. That boy just messed up his whole life. His daughter is gonna be without a father. I just want to scream. How can he have been so desperate.
Tr says
It is so easy to judge when it’s not you. Only God knows what happened and is the only one who will get him out of this. Negative comments are not necessary please keep them to yourself. Brandon we are praying for you hang in there.
David d says
[Correction: the article does not mention cameras at Staples, but at Bealls.–FL]
There are no cameras at staples palm coast so that’s inaccuarte.. There must of been someone who ratted on him if,he had a guilty concisions and turned himself in. Former staples supervisor as of 1 month ago to add to it staples doesn’t pay there associates that is why I left.
The Geode says
Don’t confuse “desperate” with stupid. Don’t feel sorry for a daughter HE doesn’t feel sorry for. Don’t waste time defending his “up-bringing” when HE made the conscious decision to be a dumb-ass.
Brian says
Bigg B is heading for the Bigg House.
Gold Dust says
B-Hubb is a good dude. He allegedly made a mistake but he’ll bounce back.
Sw says
He robbed with a gun Did GOD tell him to do that. Ifeel bad for him/family but he’s going to get what he deserves GOD or not geeeeez
woodchuck says
Don”t do the crime if you can”t do the time
Concerned Citizen says
I sincerely hope that Brandon Hubbart receives the maximum penalty allowed by law.
Armed Robbery is no small offense. You change your victims life permanently. Lets not forget that. I have no sympathy for someone who commits a violent crime like this.
This could have turned out very differently if he had discharged his weapon. Good upbringing or not. This isn’t a mistake. It’s a callous action made by someone looking for an easy money grab.
Going to church or being a good little boy growing up doesn’t change the fact that you acted like an ass and stuck a gun in someones face to steal money. Get out there and get a job instead of stealing it.
Let’s stop feeling sorry for criminals and start holding them accountable.A mistake is turning left when you should have turned right. Not committing armed robbery.
You grow tired of hearing excuses about upbringing or mental health. he’s no kid and should be held accountable as an adult.
Pistol pete says
Hubb is a good guy, regardless what all you people think that don’t know him. I spent years around him usually pickup games of basketball. I didn’t believe he did this until I read that he turned himself in. It’s sad that when some people need financial help they resort to crimes instead of just asking people. I would have helped him. Nonetheless, he has a long time in jail for 1500$. Way to go judicial system.
Ryan says
He only has himself to blame. You commit armed robbery with a gun, you are the problem, not the gun, not the system,not society.
Concerned Cmitizen says
People are so quick to judge one another. I don’t condone stealing thieves with guns any of that. But the system doesn’t help when you in need of financial help they don’t want to help you. We as a people of the United States of America, we all go through hardships in our life. But still is no reason to steal and rob people. But it still shouldn’t be where you spend your whole life in prison for making a mistake and regretting what you did. Sometimes we deserve a second chance in life if you learn your lesson when you do a crime. Everyone needs help. There should be a place where we can go to get money when we need help to take care of our families and take care of our bills. The system is not helping anyone. So that’s why people are doing the things that they are doing as far as robbery breaking and entering and stealing with guns and killing people over pennies of a dollar. No, it’s not right and it will never be right. But it shouldn’t be that it cost you the rest of your life in jail when you got some people out there that kills and get as little as 5 to 15 years to life. What sensemble does that make. None. So people quit judging other people. Until you get yourself or your child gets in that situation. Then you would want somebody to have pity on you. The world is such a judgemental place. Instead of criticizing why not pray for that person and their families. No matter what your upbringing is everybody makes mistakes in life. Even the ones that are so crucial to judging people.