Lake City man arrested for robbing a store while wearing ‘Halloween’ mask, ‘Santa’ shirt

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Gary Hollie, of Lake City, has been arrested for robbing a Dollar General on June 12, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

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Deputies had been searching for a man wearing a “Santa’ t-shirt and a Halloween-style mask. Witnesses told deputies the man had entered the Dollar General, pulled out a gun, and demanded money.

Read: Columbia County Sheriff’s Office searching for robbery suspect wearing ‘Halloween’ mask, ‘Santa’ shirt

According to a news release, a Crime Stoppers tip helped detectives identify Hollie.

On June 27, detectives spoke with the suspect. They learned Hollie was on probation with the condition of being on house arrest. They also saw drug paraphernalia in his yard, and Hollie admitted it was his.

During the execution of a search warrant, detectives found the described clothes in a burn pit.

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Hollie was arrested and booked in the Columbia County Detention Facility.

“I am proud of our deputies and detectives who worked so hard to resolve this case. I am also proud of the citizen who partnered with us through the Crime Stoppers program. Partnerships between our citizens and law enforcement are vital in keeping our community safe,” Sheriff Mark Hunter said in the news release.

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