Courtesy photo / Christopher Sponer of Deltona is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail after a failed robbery of a fast-food restaurant.DELTONA -- A failed attempt to steal money early Saturday morning from the cash drawer of a Burger King in Deltona has landed a 42-year-old man in jail.
The attempted robbery was foiled by an employee who shoved the man’s hands away from the drawer and slammed it shut before the suspect could swipe the money. The accused, Christopher Sponer of Deltona, is facing charges of robbery by sudden snatching, grand theft of a motor vehicle and battery.
Fast-acting Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies made quick work of solving the crime at the Burger King on Elkcam Boulevard after it was called in at 6:13 a.m.
According to witnesses, Sponer came in to the restaurant and ordered a sandwich. When the employee took his money and opened the cash drawer, Sponer reached over the counter and tried to snatch the money from the drawer, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
The employee tussled with Sponer, who grabbed her hands to try to push her away so he could get into the cash drawer. The employee then grabbed the suspect’s hands, pulled them away from the cash drawer and shut the drawer, Davidson said.
Sponer tried to force open the drawer, but by that time, the commotion had drawn the attention of other employees and he ran out of the business empty-handed, the Sheriff's spokesman said. No weapon was displayed during the encounter, and no one was injured.
Employees saw the man hop into a white Chevrolet Cavalier and were able to jot down the tag number for responding deputies before the car sped off.
"When deputies tracked down the owner of the car, they discovered that it was missing along with Sponer, who had spent the night at the man’s house after doing some work for him," Davidson said. "A little more than an hour after the robbery attempt was reported, deputies located Sponer walking along Elkcam Boulevard and took him into custody."
The stolen Cavalier was later found parked along Courtland Boulevard. Sponer was booked in to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach on $5,500 bond.
NSBNews.net, also known as VolusiaNews.net, provides Volusia County 24 / 7 Internet newspaper coverage, 100% free with breaking news, news of record and investigative reports from New Smyrna Beach, FL, for a 21st-century digital world.