Local
Tools
Typography

ALACHUA – A 31-year-old Alachua man has been charged with two counts of grand theft after authorities say he falsely reported being the victim of an armed robbery that he staged to steal more than $16,000 from his employer, Hitchcock’s Market.

Denzell Romel Singleton was arrested Thursday, July 10, 2025, following an investigation that began in April 2024 when he reported an alleged robbery at Hitchcock’s Supermarket, located at 15560 N.W. U.S. Highway 441 in Alachua.

According to the initial police alert issued April 2, 2024, Singleton claimed that an unidentified man approached him as the store was closing, brandished a firearm, and forced him to open the store’s safe. Singleton also reported that the assailant pistol-whipped him before fleeing the scene with a substantial amount of cash. Police said Singleton was transported to a hospital with what he described as injuries, though officers at the scene noted he had only a superficial scratch and no visible signs of trauma.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deployed a K-9 team, which tracked the alleged suspect's path from the store to a nearby parking area where a vehicle registered to Demetrius Hardaway — who has a prior felony conviction for armed robbery — was found. Officers reported spotting a black pistol, a large backpack, black shoes, and other clothing in plain view inside the vehicle.

Surveillance video from inside the store reportedly contradicted Singleton’s account. Police said Singleton appeared calm when interacting with the alleged suspect and was seen handing over the bank bags. The video also showed the safe and front door were open when the suspect entered, which authorities noted was unusual for store closing procedures.

Officers stated that Singleton “dramatically” crawled out of the store before calling 911, several minutes after the alleged robbery. This delay gave the suspect time to stow the money and flee, police said.

The investigation intensified when Singleton called APD to ask why his vehicle had been towed. He claimed the car belonged to his brother, though police had already secured a warrant to search it. Inside the car, officers found two Hitchcock’s-branded bank bags in a backpack that also contained items bearing Singleton’s name. The bags, still locked, were opened by a store manager and reportedly contained $16,310 in cash.

When Singleton voluntarily appeared at the police station for questioning, he wore dark sunglasses and used a cane, saying he suffered from light sensitivity and headaches due to the alleged pistol-whipping. Investigators, however, said the video evidence did not support that level of injury and that Singleton reportedly said he had not been told by a doctor that he had any injuries.

After being read his Miranda rights, Singleton denied knowing what the money bags were and claimed no involvement in the theft. When asked why the cash was in his vehicle, he offered no explanation, police said.

Detectives allege that Singleton conspired with the unknown suspect to stage the robbery. They noted that Singleton was working alone at the time, and a cash deposit had not been made in several days due to a holiday weekend.

Singleton allowed police to search his phone, but investigators reported that portions of his text messages and activity around the time of the incident had been deleted. One text thread showed him asking about a haircut the day of the alleged assault, which officers cited as inconsistent with his claims of serious injury.

The second suspect remains unidentified, according to a sworn complaint filed in October 2024.

Singleton, who has 10 prior misdemeanor convictions, is charged with two counts of grand theft exceeding $10,000. Judge William Davis set bail at $25,000.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

View Comments