Florida man strikes again! According to Panama City News Herald, Gainesville native Steven Michael Berlin was arrested Monday and charged with armed robbery after sticking up a restaurant, even though he didn’t have a gun on him at the time of the incident.
The Gainesville police report claims Berlin, 56, entered Szechuan Palace and sat down at the establishment for about 30 minutes before approaching an employee at the counter. “I am ready,” Berlin said, as he walked around the counter and demanded money from the drawer.
That’s when Berlin brandished his finger gun. Yes, we’re talking about the same “gun” you make when you stick your thumb straight up in the air and point the index and middle finger in the direction of the “target.” The finger gun was enough to scare the employee into coughing up the cash in the drawer.
Berlin fled the restaurant with cash in hand but was found later with $577. He confessed to his wrongdoing to authorities and received an armed robbery charge because the employee believed he had a gun, and conducted himself as if he was using a firearm. “He was charged with armed robbery because he implied he had a weapon,” Chief Inspector Jorge Campos said.
Berlin’s bond has been set at $25,000.
