PALM COAST, Fla. — An 18-year-old Miami man wearing a clown mask robbed a Palm Coast gas station on Halloween after pretending to have a gun, then fled in a stolen SUV before being arrested in St. Augustine, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Adrian Rafael Castano, 18, was arrested Saturday, October 31, 2026, after authorities connected him to a robbery at the Amoco gas station near State Road 100 and Interstate 95.
Investigators said Castano threatened a store clerk by pointing a black bag at her as though it contained a weapon, demanded money and escaped with cash and the register drawer.
Robber Told Clerk, “Don’t Be a Hero”
Flagler County deputies responded to the gas station at approximately 6:22 p.m. after receiving a robbery report.
According to investigators, a man wearing a clown mask entered the store with one hand concealed inside a black bag.
He walked behind the counter, pointed the bag toward the clerk and ordered her to “open the cash register, and don’t be a hero.”
Believing the man was armed, the clerk raised her hands, stepped away and allowed him to take the money.
The suspect grabbed cash and the register drawer with his bare hands before leaving in a silver Chevrolet Traverse.
Deputies alerted surrounding law enforcement agencies to watch for the vehicle.
Surveillance Video Shows Suspect Waiting for Customers to Leave
Detectives reviewing surveillance footage discovered that the suspect had visited the store shortly before the robbery.
At approximately 6:06 p.m., Castano allegedly entered the gas station without a mask, spoke briefly with the clerk and left without purchasing anything.
Investigators said he then waited in the parking lot inside the Chevrolet Traverse until the other customers had left.
He returned wearing the clown mask and carried out the robbery.
Detectives also identified a hand tattoo visible in surveillance footage as the suspect grabbed money from the register. Authorities said the tattoo matched one on Castano’s hand.
License Plate Cameras Helped Deputies Locate Stolen SUV
At approximately 7:39 p.m., license plate reader cameras alerted a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputy to a Chevrolet Traverse that had been reported stolen in Highland Beach, Palm Beach County.
The deputy located and stopped the SUV in St. Augustine.
Investigators said Castano was driving the vehicle and wearing the same clothing seen on the robbery suspect.
Inside the SUV, deputies found cash, the stolen register drawer and a clown mask matching the one worn during the robbery.
During questioning, Castano told detectives his day began at the Hard Rock Casino in Miami.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, he acknowledged knowing the SUV was stolen when he took it and drove north on Interstate 95, traveling hundreds of miles before stopping at the Palm Coast gas station.
Castano denied taking any money.
Sheriff Criticizes Removal of License Plate Readers
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly praised the agencies involved in the arrest while criticizing a state order requiring the removal of license plate readers from state roads.
“This clown robbed a hard-working clerk who believed he was armed, so putting this clown in handcuffs on Halloween was a real treat,” Staly said.
The sheriff argued that license plate readers previously operating on state roads could have alerted deputies to the stolen SUV before the robbery occurred.
“License plate readers solve crimes and prevent crimes,” Staly said. “De-tooling the police doesn’t make anyone safer; it just gives criminals the ability to prey on residents and our business workers.”
Staly also thanked St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick and his deputies for their assistance in locating and apprehending Castano.
Suspect Held on $100,000 Bond
Flagler County detectives charged Castano with robbery.
He was booked into the St. Johns County Jail, where he is being held on a $100,000 bond for the Flagler County charge. Authorities said he also faces charges in St. Johns County.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Castano has a previous arrest history that includes aggravated battery and battery involving a person 65 or older, robbery, simple assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, driving without a valid license and providing false identification to law enforcement.