A Marion County judge sentenced Kewarren Lee Anderson, 40, to four years in state prison after he used a large rock to rob a Taco Bell in Ocala, climbing through the drive-thru window and chasing employees around the parking lot during a late-night incident on July 8, 2025, authorities said.
The case drew attention because of its unusual details and because no gun was used. Prosecutors said Anderson entered through the drive-thru at the restaurant at 2380 SW College Road shortly after 12:30 a.m., brandished a rock and demanded cash. Workers fled the building and Anderson ran after them, according to charging documents. He left without obtaining money, investigators said. The sentence followed a plea in which Anderson admitted responsibility for the robbery; additional jail-related battery charges were handled alongside the case. Court records show he will receive credit for time already served in the county jail.
According to an arrest affidavit, employees told police a man with his shirt pulled over his head crawled into the store through the window holding a large rock in his hand and shouted for money. Staff ran into the parking lot and called 911. Responding officers and a K-9 team found Anderson minutes later hiding behind a nearby dumpster, where he surrendered without further incident. Body-camera footage reviewed by investigators showed the K-9 locating the suspect before officers placed him in custody, the report said. No injuries were reported at the restaurant, and officials said the business reopened after police cleared the scene.
Prosecutors said Anderson later acknowledged he was homeless and needed cash. A judge set the four-year prison term last week, noting the offense involved a threat of force despite the absence of a firearm. Media outlets reported Anderson pleaded no contest to an armed robbery count and that he chased employees around the lot before fleeing on foot. Officials said he did not obtain any money. Records indicate he also faced a separate count for battery in a detention facility after an altercation following his arrest; the court addressed that matter during the same proceeding. The state did not disclose a precise dollar figure for damages at the restaurant.
The July 2025 incident occurred along a busy commercial corridor off Interstate 75. Police said the initial response included multiple patrol units because the Taco Bell remained open late at night and nearby businesses share large parking areas. Investigators canvassed for surveillance video and interviewed patrons who had been in the drive-thru lane. The affidavit lists the store address and time of the 911 call, and describes the suspect’s entry through the window, pursuit of workers into the lot and his subsequent flight on foot. Officers recovered the rock used in the threat, according to the report.
After his arrest, Anderson was booked into the Marion County Jail. Court filings show he remained in custody through much of the case and accumulated jail-time credit toward the sentence. At the hearing, prosecutors summarized the sequence from entry through the drive-thru to the K-9 search behind the building. The defense noted Anderson’s lack of a firearm and asked the court to consider the time he had already served. The judge imposed a four-year term, followed by standard post-release supervision. Neither side discussed restitution in open court, and the restaurant chain did not immediately comment.
Fast-food robberies involving improvised weapons are uncommon in Ocala, police said, but the department has increased patrols along SW College Road since midsummer 2025 in response to overnight calls for service. Officers in this case credited quick employee decisions and nearby witnesses for the rapid identification and arrest. “Our units were on scene within minutes, and the K-9 located the suspect behind the business,” a department spokesperson said.
As of Monday, Anderson remained in state custody awaiting transfer from the county jail to the Florida Department of Corrections. Court officials said the written judgment and commitment order would be processed this week. No additional defendants are named in the case, and police said the investigation is closed.
Author note: Last updated January 27, 2026.