Coral Springs man is arrested after allegedly stealing from the same Target six different times in under two months
Coral Springs, Florida – An 18-year-old Coral Springs resident is facing a felony charge after police say he repeatedly stole merchandise from the same Target store over a period of several weeks, returning again and again until security finally stopped him during his sixth alleged attempt.
According to a Coral Springs Police report, the string of thefts began on Sept. 27 at the Target located at 9600 Westview Drive. In each case, officers say the same individual — identified as Andre Jalen Hightower — walked into the store, picked up merchandise, and left without paying. For weeks, the pattern continued almost unnoticed, building into a steady series of losses for the store.
The report states that Hightower is suspected of taking $96 worth of products on Sept. 27. Just a few days later, on Oct. 2, another theft occurred, this time totaling $44. After that, weeks passed before the third incident on Nov. 14, when $280 worth of items were allegedly stolen. The behavior escalated further the next day, Nov. 15, when Hightower was accused of leaving the store with another $235 worth of merchandise.
Each theft followed a similar method, police said. Hightower would select items, place them into a bag or backpack, and walk out without paying. On earlier dates, store security apparently was not able to intercept him in time.
That changed on Nov. 24 at around 1 p.m. The police report states that a store security guard recognized Hightower the moment he entered the building, remembering him from the earlier incidents. Instead of immediately confronting him, the guard called police while watching him load items into his backpack.
The guard then followed him outside and stopped him on the sidewalk in front of the store. Somehow, the guard convinced Hightower to return inside to his office. Once there, the guard emptied the backpack and counted $273 worth of merchandise that Hightower allegedly attempted to take during this sixth visit.
Police arrived shortly afterward and arrested him on the spot.
Officers combined all six incidents into a single grand theft charge, noting that the total value of the merchandise taken — from Sept. 27 through Nov. 24 — met the threshold for grand theft between $750 and $5,000, a third-degree felony under Florida law.
After being booked at the Coral Springs Police Department, Hightower was transported to the Broward County Main Jail. Jail records show he was released the next day after posting a $2,000 bond.
The case now moves to the court system, where prosecutors will determine how to move forward with the combined charge.
