Deputies say a late-week trip to the mall ended in handcuffs for 28-year-old Mahlique Booth, who is accused of posing as a customer at a jewelry shop inside University Square Mall before shattering a display case, roughing up the store owner and bolting with roughly $50,000 in merchandise.
According to investigators, Hillsborough County detectives teamed up with the HCSO aviation unit to follow the getaway vehicle across the bay into Pinellas County, where deputies moved in and took Booth into custody. He is now facing robbery and criminal mischief charges.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shared video of the pursuit and takedown on Facebook, showing ground units and aircraft tracking a vehicle and officers detaining a person believed to be the suspect. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Booth smashed the display while trying to swipe a necklace, and investigators estimate about $50,000 in property was taken. The arrest occurred last Friday.
Smash-and-grab problem around Tampa Bay
Law enforcement agencies across Tampa Bay have been wrestling with a wave of smash-and-grab hits on jewelry stores this year, from boutiques in downtown St. Petersburg to shops in busy malls, putting extra pressure on loss-prevention teams and detectives.
In January, FOX 13 reported a sledgehammer burglary at a St. Petersburg jeweler that netted about $45,000 in gems, and local outlets have chronicled a steady drumbeat of big retail thefts and arrests through the spring. Coverage of a nearly 3,000-item CVS heist shows the pattern has carried into 2026.
Charges and investigation
According to the Sheriff's Office post, Booth has been booked on robbery and criminal mischief counts. Officials had not immediately released detailed booking information or a court date.
Investigators have not publicly identified the jewelry retailer, and the case remains active as Hillsborough detectives coordinate with partners in Pinellas County. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact deputies.
