DAYTONA BEACH — As a manager for the last three of his 15 years working at the popular Ocean Deck restaurant and beach club, Paul Ferguson had a key to the business, knew the alarm codes and the combination to the safe.
But Ferguson apparently didn’t know or care about the security cameras. Police say the cameras recorded Ferguson taking $1,000 from a safe and another $2,550 from an office in the business according to a charging affidavit.
Now, police have an arrest warrant for the 41-year-old Ferguson. He has a prior arrest in 2014 on possession of cannabis not more than 20 grams and possession of paraphernalia. Prosecutors did not file charges.
The Ocean Deck’s owner, Vernon Kuftic, told police that Ferguson had worked at the restaurant for 15 years and as a manager for the last three and knew the safe combination and alarm codes.
Kuftic contacted police on Jan. 22 to tell them that his opening manager had discovered $1,000 missing from the safe. The opening manager checked the video surveillance and saw Ferguson taking the money, the affidavit said.
Video surveillance showed Ferguson arriving at the business in his 2005 Ford Explorer, tag EFTB01, at about 6:19 a.m. on Jan. 22. Ferguson walked in carrying a dark back pack and goes into the main office, where he is seen taking money and putting it in his backpack. He then opens the safe and takes more cash and stuffs it in his backpack. Ferguson then gets in his SUV and drives off at about 6:25 a.m.
Ferguson had been scheduled to report to work at 7 a.m., the report said. But he didn't show.
And he wasn’t answering his phone or his door at his home on Goodall Avenue.