A 22-year-old Leesburg man is behind bars for last month’s burglary of a popular Tavares bar after multiple people identified him in a security video shared on the local police department’s Facebook page.
Bryce Gerold Burkhardt was charged Sunday with petit theft, burglary of an unoccupied structure (unarmed), and criminal mischief ($200 in damage or less) in connection with crime, which happened 11:19 p.m. June 21 at Kalua Beach Bar, located at 181 S. Joanna Ave. on the shore of Lake Dora.
The manager and business owner contacted Tavares Police the next morning to report that the cash register had been broken into overnight. They provided security footage that showed Burkhardt stumbling up a pathway towards the restaurant with a backpack and no shoes. He entered the open area before going behind the bar, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Lake County Court.
Burkhardt uncovered the cash register without any gloves and made multiple attempts to open it by grabbing items nearby, including what appeared to be a screwdriver and the ice scoop. This continued until he completely broke the register, causing about $150 in damage, the affidavit said.
Burkhardt eventually pried the register open and removed about $3 in change. He then looked around the area and opened a mini cooler under the register. This was the only one not locked at the time of the burglary. He removed a bottle of orange juice and a bottle of Jager from the cooler and took a chef’s knife before leaving. The total value of the stolen items was about $77, according to the affidavit.
The videos provided a clear view of Burkhardt. Police posted a clip to Facebook on June 23 and asked the public to help identify the burglar. As of Tuesday afternoon, the post had been shared 88 times and had more than 60 comments. Multiple people called to identify Burkhardt, and fingerprints lifted from the register and countertop confirmed he was the suspect, the affidavit said.
Burkhardt was arrested Sunday afternoon by Lake County sheriff’s deputies and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he’s being held on $7,000 bond.
