Cambridge Man Charged After Pizza Shop Tip Jar Thefts

Cambridge, MD - At approximately 8:07 p.m. on September 14, 2026, Cambridge Police Department officers responded to Giovanni's Pizza in the 300 block of Sunburst Highway in Cambridge, MD for a theft.

Officers spoke with employees at the restaurant. They said a Hispanic male had entered the store and asked if a Spanish speaking employee was available.

When the employee came back to help, the man had already left the business. Staff then noticed the tip box was slightly open.

They checked the tip box and found it was empty. Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the store.

The footage helped identify the suspect as Jose Antonio Velasquez, 59, of Cambridge, Maryland. The footage also showed him taking money from the tip box before leaving.

Officers sent out a description of Velasquez to other Cambridge Police Department officers. While still on scene, they learned of a similar theft involving the same suspect on September 12, 2026.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. that same night, officers found Velasquez near Cedar Street and Academy Street. He was found in possession of the stolen money.

Velasquez was arrested on an unrelated Dorchester County District Court bench warrant for a violation of probation. He also had an active parole retake warrant.

Officers also found Velasquez with a device used to smoke crack cocaine. He was turned over to the Dorchester County Department of Corrections on no bond for the warrants.

Velasquez was issued criminal citations for theft less than 100 dollars on two separate counts. He was also cited for possession of paraphernalia.

Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.