The Bradenton Police Department has arrested 43-year-old William “Billy” Johnson, the General Manager of Oak & Stone, for burglarizing the restaurant. Johnson was taken into custody on Tuesday evening following an investigation into a break-in at the establishment.
On Tuesday morning, an employee of Oak & Stone, located at 1201 Barcarrota Blvd, arrived to find the restaurant’s entrance unlocked. The safe was found open and empty, and the cash register at the bar appeared to have been forcibly opened. The employee alerted Johnson, who claimed he had locked the restaurant at 12:45 a.m. that morning.
Bradenton Police detectives later obtained video footage from the restaurant’s security cameras, which showed a man with his face covered entering the manager’s office at 5:44 a.m. and unplugging the cameras. Further review of additional surveillance footage revealed that the suspect had parked a Kia SUV, registered to Johnson, several blocks away from the restaurant. The suspect was then seen using a key to enter the restaurant and later leaving with a deposit bag, wiping down the door handles before leaving the door unlocked.
Johnson was arrested at his home, where he declined to speak with detectives. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Authorities are encouraging anyone with information to contact Detective Rachael Tobie at rachael.tobie@bradentonpd.com or to make anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at manateecrimestoppers.com or by calling 866-634-8477 (TIPS).
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