A man walked into a business on the 100 block of East Fletcher Avenue just before noon on Tuesday, threatened to hit the victim with a rock, and demanded money — then ran off without taking a dime. Hillsborough County deputies later found 42-year-old Daniel Walkowicz at a grocery store on North Florida Avenue, and he's now facing a charge described as robbery with a weapon less than $750.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
, deputies responded to the East Fletcher Avenue business at 11:50 a.m. after the victim called 911 to report that a man had entered with a rock, threatened to hit him, and demanded cash. Walkowicz fled the scene empty-handed, but deputies located him soon after at the grocery store on North Florida Avenue and took him into custody. He was booked on a charge described as robbery with a weapon less than $750.
The charge wording might seem puzzling to anyone who heard Walkowicz allegedly left without any money in hand. The Florida Bar has discussed a proposal to raise Florida's felony theft threshold to $750, as detailed by The Florida Bar.
How Florida Defines Robbery
Florida law defines robbery as the taking of property, according to Justia Law.
Florida Statute § 812.13(2)(b) provides that robbery with a weapon is a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in state prison and fines as high as $10,000, per the Florida Senate.
The Arrest Location
Deputies located Walkowicz at a grocery store on North Florida Avenue.
A fatal double-stabbing investigation took place on North 46th Street this past June, and deputies made a homicide arrest in February 2025 tied to an incident from June 2024 on the 2200 block, both handled by HCSO. Separately, a death investigation took place at 3600 East Fletcher Avenue.
Part of a Broader Crime Trend
The Sheriff's Office has recently pointed to 2025 FBI NIBRS figures showing countywide violent crime fell 13.85% year-over-year, with total countywide crime down 12.79% and homicides dropping 55%, numbers cited alongside targeted enforcement initiatives — context Hoodline reported earlier this week in a separate North Tampa case.
It remains unclear whether Walkowicz has any prior criminal history in Hillsborough County or elsewhere in Florida, and no information on bail or bond status has been released.
