Ocala, Fla. — A Florida man who attempted to rob a Taco Bell using a rock — yes, a rock — has been sentenced to four years in state prison, ending what police describe as “one of the most ambitious but poorly planned fast‑food heists in recent memory.”
Kewarren Anderson, 40, received the sentence this week, with credit for time already served. According to police, Anderson attempted to climb through the drive‑thru window while brandishing a rock and demanding cash, apparently believing that Taco Bell employees would hand over the register out of sheer respect for geological weaponry.
Employees did not.
Instead, they backed away, called 911, and watched as Anderson fled the scene — leaving behind only confusion and a rock that, according to witnesses, “wasn’t even that big.”
Body‑camera footage released by Ocala Police shows officers deploying a K9 unit to track Anderson. The dog, who has since become a minor celebrity online, led officers across the parking lot and directly to a trash bin, where Anderson was discovered attempting to hide behind it in a way that suggested he believed he was invisible.
The K9, unimpressed with the suspect’s stealth skills, promptly bit him.
Police say Anderson later admitted he was homeless and desperate for money, and thought the rock would be enough to intimidate workers. Officers did not comment on whether Anderson expressed disappointment that the rock failed to perform its intended function.
No employees were injured, and Anderson never obtained any money — though police say he did successfully obtain “a valuable life lesson about the limitations of mineral‑based weaponry.”
Prosecutors argued that the attempted robbery, combined with Anderson’s prior record, warranted a prison sentence. The judge agreed, sentencing him to four years in state custody, presumably without access to rocks larger than a pebble.
The body‑camera footage — including the dramatic moment the K9 locates Anderson behind the trash bin — has been widely shared online, where viewers have praised the dog’s work and questioned Anderson’s decision‑making process.
Court records do not indicate whether Anderson plans to appeal, though legal experts say any appeal would likely hinge on whether the rock should be considered a “deadly weapon” or merely “a poor choice.”
