Suspect In East Austin Burglary Hid In Bar Before Robbing It

EAST AUSTIN, TX — Shuffleboard, anyone?

A man is accused of hiding under a shuffleboard table after entering a North Austin bar before surreptitiously hiding underneath it only to emerge once the place was closed in order to rob the establishment. The details from the November incident are detailed in a newly released arrest affidavit referenced in a KVUE report.

The suspect was later identified as David Ryan Hamilton, 33, who entered the bar on Nov. 27. Police say he waited several hours before emerging from under the shuffleboard table to rummage through the office.

According to the affidavit, here's what he is accused of taking: Several thousands of dollars in cash and multiple business checks he later allegedly forged while attempting to cash for more than $680 three days after his shuffleboard shuffle.

A prolific fellow, Hamilton is accused of attempting to rob an East Austin bar the day before the shuffleboard shenanigans, according to the KVUE report. He did that caper in similar burrowing fashion, crawling into the the space above the ceiling to avoid apprehension but not surveillance camera footage that helped lead to his undoing.

Police later were able to identify Hamilton from a previous forgery and burglary case in 2016 during which Hamilton is alleged to have broken into a North Austin trophy store in October 2016 and taken $200 in cash along with business checks, the news station reported.

Hamilton has been charged with one count of forgery and three counts of burglary of a building. While not currently in Travis County Jail, his total bond was set at $29,000.

>>> Read the full story at KVUE

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