MIRAMAR, Fla. (CBS12) — A South Florida stylist accused of stealing more than $270,000 worth of luxury handbags from an influencer was arrested Friday, days after police mistakenly arrested a different man.
Shaquille Palmer was taken into custody late Friday on a felony grand theft charge, according to Miramar police and reporting from WSVN.
WSVN cameras captured Palmer in handcuffs as officers prepared to put him into a patrol car. Asked if he stole the handbags, Palmer smiled and winked at the cameras but did not comment.
Palmer’s arrest comes after the Miramar Police Department acknowledged they had arrested the wrong man earlier in the week. Shaquille Grant was arrested Wednesday after police say Palmer provided officers with his first name but intentionally gave them a false last name.
Grant reportedly appeared in court Thursday and told the judge through his attorney that he knew nothing about the case. Police later determined Grant was not connected to the theft and arranged for his release from the Broward County Jail.
Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss said the error stemmed from a “Not in Custody” form that contained Grant’s name instead of Palmer’s.
See also: South Florida connection emerges in reopened ‘Cornell 7’ case
“Obviously there was a mistake made,” Moss said, according to WSVN. “We are trying to figure out how the mistake was made.”
The original theft was reported by Miramar-based social media influencer Dr. Stormy Wellington, who said that her stylist, a self-described fashion designer with over 85,000 Instagram followers, stole five Hermes purses and a Chanel water bottle from her home in August.
Wellington said she was upset after learning an innocent man had been arrested.
“The wrong person was arrested unfortunately,” Wellington told WSVN. “My heart goes out to him.”
After seeing images of Palmer in custody, Wellington said she recognized him as the man she believes stole her belongings.
Wellington took to Instagram on Saturday, saying Palmer’s arrest gave her a sense of relief after she alleged he had worked for her for more than seven years and that she lost more than $300,000. She said she plans to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and thanked Miramar police and local news outlets for their coverage.
Palmer was being held on a $150,000 bond, according to court records.