Daniel Scanlan, 34, Charged With Robbery, Battery On 65+

BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2023) — A 34-year-old substitute teacher was arrested for felony battery and robbery after an incident over grapes at the checkout line of the West Boca Walmart.

Daniel Scanlan, a substitute teacher at Coral Springs High School, was at the checkout line behind an elderly man at the West Boca Walmart on Friday afternoon when the elderly man did something that set Scanlan over the edge.

According to the arrest affidavit, the elderly man, who was wearing a yarmulke, became upset with the cashier after checking out. Witnesses say that the man wanted to return some grapes he had just purchased, so the clerk pointed him in the direction of the customer service lane. Apparently, the elderly man had some vulgar words for the cashier.

The exchange upset Scanlan who, witnesses say, then hit the elderly man from behind and removed his black yarmulke, while yelling anti-semitic obscenities. Scanlan then spits in the yarmulke, threw it on the ground, and then hit the elderly man again.

An elderly woman who witnessed the incident attempted to intervene in the volatile situation. The woman was heard saying, “Just because someone else acted inappropriately doesn’t mean you have to too.” Witnesses say that Scanlan called her obscenities before grabbing the woman’s phone and fleeing the store.

As Scanlan exited the first set of doors, he then threw the cell phone violently against the wall. Scanlan then turned around and shoved her, picked her up, shoved her into a vending machine, causing a minor laceration to her right elbow, and ran out and fled.

Deputies responded to the West Boca Raton Walmart and interviewed witnesses. One of the witnesses followed Scanlan out of the parking lot and took a picture of his license plate. Deputies tracked Scanlan down to his Lake Worth home and conducted a “knock and talk”, a consensual interview, a common tactic in law enforcement.

Scanlan told deputies he is a substitute teacher at Coral Springs High School and that he came home right after work, therefor he was not the guy seen in the video. Deputies report that Scanlan was very evasive and denied everything. When presented with screenshots of the Walmart CCTV footage, he simply said it wasn’t him. When asked if the clothes worn by the person in the screenshot were his he said no. Deputies asked if they went to his school and showed that photo would they confirm he was wearing the clothes pictured in the photo screenshot? Scanlan stated, “You go ahead”.

When deputies showed him photos of his vehicle leaving the Walmart, which he identified as possibly his vehicle. “So what does that mean”, was his response. When asked if anyone else could have been driving or did he give anyone else permission to drive it, he said absolutely not; he’d fight to the death before anyone would drive his car.

Deputies left Scanlan’s home and continued the investigation. Several days later, probable cause was submitted to a local judge who then signed a warrant for Scanlan’s arrest. On Monday, May 1st, 2023, Scanlan was arrested and charged with the following:

• 2 counts of 812.13(12C) ROBBERY
• 2 counts of 784.08(12C) BATTERY ON PERSON 65 YOA OR OLDER

A spokesperson with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office tells Boca Post that there may be a pending hate crime enhancement. That has not been confirmed with the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts.