Suspect Charged In Palm Coast Kay Jewelers Robbery

Palm Coast, FL – Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives say that witnesses, video surveillance, and investigative tactics led them to 30-year-old Tyrone Hunter as the suspect in a Palm Coast jewelry robbery.  The theft took place on October 6 at the Kay Jewelers. Employees of the store say the suspect entered the store and asked to see some gold chains. An employee took a gold chain valued at $7,900 out of the display case. Hunter asked if he could try it on. When informed that because of COVID-19 guests weren’t allowed to try on the jewelry. That’s when Hunter Hunter snatched the gold chain and display from the employee and ran out of the store. Store surveillance and witness accounts captured the suspect leaving the area in a red Nissan truck at a high rate of speed and verified the employees’ version of events. Further investigation found that Hunter had been in the St. Augustine Kay Jewelers earlier in the day, asking to see gold chains there. He left empty-handed. Crime analysts and FCSO detectives were able to identify the owner of the truck that Hunter fled in as his father, Leroy Hunter, who told them that his son used the truck on a regular basis. The father informed detectives that there was a GPS device in the truck. It confirmed that the truck was at the Palm Coast and St. Augustine Kay Jewelers locations on October 6 within the times of the reported incidents. Detectives conducted a photo line-up on October 14 with the employees at the Palm Coast Kay Jewelers. They independently identified Hunter as the suspect. This information, along with the rest of the evidence, enabled FCSO to get a warrant for his arrest. Working with Putnam County law enforcement agencies, FCSO tracked an address that Hunter could possibly be staying at. Deputies from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office located and arrested Hunter. He is currently being held in Putnam County on the FCSO warrant and is awaiting transfer to the Flagler County jail. “This is a great example of how technology-led policing and good old fashion police work solve crimes,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “This guy thought he could come into Flagler County and commit a robbery and get away with it. But thanks to the excellent work of our crime analysts and detectives we secured a warrant for his arrest. Our law enforcement partners in Putnam were able to take him into custody for us and he’ll soon be in the Green Roof Inn where he belongs.”