A man with a peculiar name was busted for allegedly stealing over $20,000 worth of goods from Walmart stores across northern Georgia, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Speedy Gonzalez, 40, was accused of stuffing expensive items into a cheap container at self-checkout, only scanning the low-cost item and skipping the hidden valuables inside.
Gonzalez reportedly swiped over $20,000 in merchandise from several Walmart locations.
Gwinnett County Police Department
“Nicotine, gum, diabetic strips—smaller but high-priced items,” said Gainesville Police Lt. Kevin Holbrook. “He’d grab something like a trash can or, in one case, a mailbox, load it up with the expensive goods, pay for the container only, and walk right out.”
This method let Gonzalez leave with far more than he paid for. But authorities caught on and arrested him 10 days after another alleged theft in March.
He’s suspected of more than 20 thefts across Hall, Barrow, Gwinnett, Habersham, White, and Lumpkin counties.
Living northeast of Atlanta, Gonzalez was booked into Hall County Jail and now faces several federal charges, according to Gainesville Police.
This isn’t his first brush with the law.
Back in April 2020, Gonzalez was arrested in Gwinnett County for allegedly stealing checks from a mailbox and trying to spend $3,000 at a Home Depot.
Gonzalez’s name nearly mirrors the classic Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales, the fast-moving mouse in a big yellow sombrero.
According to former Warner Bros. employee Martha Goldman Sigall, the cartoon drew inspiration from Frank Gonzales, an assistant animator famous for his speedy drawing skills.
Social media had a field day with the irony.
“Clearly wasn’t speedy enough,” someone joked in the comments on the Gainesville Police Department’s Facebook post.
“He needs to change his name,” another user added. “Change it to Slowpoke Rodriguez after getting caught.”
“Tell me that is not his real name,” another person wrote.
