If it’s not a pizzeria, it’s a Chinese restaurant: Hugh W. McIntyre has a weakness for targeting Palm Coast eateries.
McIntyre, a 32-year-old resident of 12 Brian Lane in Palm Coast, is a convicted felon: three years ago he was found guilty of burglary and grand theft—each a third-degree felony—and served just over a year in state prison.
He’d burglarized Joe’s New York Pizza in 2009 in a scheme elaborate enough that he shut off the breakers on the parking lot nights, according to court documents. He broke the side window of the business with a rock, entered the store, stole a computer worth $1,800, stole the cash register, and ripped off numerous “good luck” currency bills taped to a window. He then stored his loot in the v acant house next door.
His explanations to copes at the time: he was addicted to “Roxies,” or roxycontin, also known as OxyContin, a narcotic pain reliever. He told cops he was looking for a rehab center. He ended up in prison.
Tuesday afternoon, McIntyre admitted to a similar felony burglary, this time at Oriental Garden, the popular Chinese restaurant in Flagler Plaza in Palm Coast.
McIntyre, according to restaurant staffers’ account to police, entered the place and was looking at a menu, the way many customers do. The counter and cash register are located immediately in front of the glass-door entrance, with only a few feet’s maneuvering space before the dining room opens up. The son of the owners was working at the time, as were his parents. The younger man went back to the kitchen to assist his parents with another order.
McIntyre went to the bathroom in the back, near the kitchen. But not long afterward, the younger staffer saw McIntyre lean over the front counter and reach into the cash register, which he’d managed to open. Surveillance footage would later show that McIntyre pressed the required keys to open the register.
The video shows the younger staffer and his parents intervene, but McIntyre runs out of the restaurant. An employee at ACE Hardware next door caught sight of the suspect and told police he’d be willing to identify him: he would later do so, as did the Oriental Garden staffer. McIntyre was seen fleeing in a white pickup truck, and a witness was able to provide a license plate number, which connected the truck to McIntyre.
Deputies located the suspect at the Kangaroo gas station on Palm Coast Parkway, where, after he was read his rights, McIntyre, according to his police report, took responsibility for the burglary. Deputies found $170 in his wallet.
McIntyre, who has a Homer Simpson tattoo on his right arm, according to state prison records, was charged with burglary and felony criminal mischief, for depriving Oriental Garden of an estimated $1,000 in business, as its owners had to divert their attention to the criminal matter Tuesday afternoon.
He was at the Flagler County jail Wednesday morning on $7,000 bond.
groot says
He really has changed his appearance.
Jenn K says
D’oh!
Come on, I can’t be the first one to think it.
GM2 says
Yeah, a year in the slammer has a way of doing that.
Big Mac says
And the pharmaceutical companies inspire more crime for profit.
Howard Duley says
Instead of risking getting caught for burglary why not become a smart crook and just go on welfare. Prison gives you free room and board and medical plus TV. Welfare gives you exactly the same thing but your free.
Anonymous says
Ah, the ever-so-illustrious B-section again!
theevoice says
a convicted felon gets a 7000 bond..our courts are awful, should be 50000 min..rediculous
Bob says
I think the P section takes the honors!
Nancy N says
3/4 of the people on welfare are either children, elderly or disabled. Exactly which ones are the crooks again?
Nancy N says
There’s crime (and crooks) in every part of town. No part is immune. There’s plenty of B section residents like myself who are working hard and honest.
ken says
What makes you think he is not on welfare?
Dave says
Jail or a bullet suits this person. All I see is a live long criminal in the making.
MaideninFlagler says
@ Bob I think Matanzas Woods is gaining ground on the P Section.
Hey why don’t we get our own Police Dept in PC? Enough with FC Sheriff. So we pay a little more taxes.
Anonymous says
no comment
Geezer says
Based on what I read here, Hugh McIntyre strikes me as a genuine
criminal who amuses himself with delinquent exploits in which he
expresses his anti-social attitude. In addition to his controlled substances
habit, he has a “crime habit.”
He’s addicted to wrongdoing — it gets him off — It floats his boat.
I hope that while in jail he’s offered psychiatric analysis and medication.
It’s a shame that a 32-year old man would waste his life behaving this way.
Sh**, I wish I was 32 again: I’d never waste my youth (being right-minded
of course) with these ruinous pursuits.
I know about this stuff — I knew a guy who was visiting PC, and broke
Caruso’s Restaurant window for no reason but for the fact that he was
in an other world, drugged out. This was his pastime. He had a mental
component that fueled his unpredictable behavior, was dyslexic and went
untreated in childhood. This fellow who belonged to a NY mob street gang,
was only happy when he was plastered.
When he wasn’t stoned — he was likable. Go figure.
He was arrested by FCSO, and was shipped back to NYC for violation of parole.
He didn’t go first class…..He died recently at 35, and it broke his parents’ hearts.
Hugh McIntyre doesn’t know it, but he’s on the precipice of a steep cliff.
That’s a damned shame.