Photo: Gwinnett County Police Department
A man who shares his name with an iconic cartoon character was arrested in Georgia.
Speedy Gonzalez, 40, of northeast Atlanta, was charged with stealing over $20,000 worth of merchandise from several Walmart stores, FOX 5 Atlanta reports. Gonzalez allegedly placed expensive items into a cheap container at the self-checkout and only scanned the inexpensive larger item.
“Nicotine, gum, diabetic strips, you know, high-priced items, although smaller in nature,” said Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook. “He would then pick out an item from the shelf, such as a trash can. In one instance, it was a mailbox… Then take all those items, stick it into the box with the larger item, and then take that, pay for it, and walk out of the store.”
Gonzalez had pulled off the scheme multiple times, but police eventually caught onto it and arrested him 10 days after an alleged theft committed in March. The suspect is accused of committing more than 20 thefts in Hall, Barrow, Gwinnett, Habersham, White and Lumpkin counties.
Gonzalez was previously arrested in April 2020 on accusations of stealing checks from a mailbox and using them to try to buy $3,000 worth of items at a Home Depot store, a crime that took place several months prior to his arrest. The suspect shares his name with the iconic Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales, a mouse who wore an oversized sombrero and red scarf known for his incredibly fast speed, which was inspired by Frank Gonzales, an assistant animator at Warner Bros. who was said to be able to draw very fast, according to former animation employee Martha Goldman Sigall.