SWEETWATER, Fla. \u2014 With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, Sweetwater police on Friday unveiled \u201cOperation Safe Holidays,\u201d a boosted security effort aimed at keeping Dolphin Mall safe through the new year.<\/p>\n
Inside the department\u2019s command center, officers monitored real-time camera feeds throughout the busy shopping complex.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see where all our police officers are live \u2014 that\u2019s a great resource for us,\u201d an official explained.<\/p>\n
Police Chief Sergio Diez said the department is taking a firm stance as crowds grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cZero tolerance for anybody that thinks they\u2019re gonna come into this mall and commit a crime. My officers are ready,\u201d Diez said.<\/p>\n
Now in its third year, the operation brings additional uniformed and undercover officers to the mall, along with the use of electronic bikes, drones and a physical operations hub.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last two years, we\u2019ve been able to make this one of the safest malls in the United States,\u201d Diez said.<\/p>\n
The announcement came after a woman and three men were arrested in connection with a robbery inside the mall on Thursday. <\/p>\n
Two of the suspects \u2014 identified as Jairo and Jacob Morales \u2014 are accused of attacking a man in his 60s and stealing his jewelry, valued at about $3,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey struck the victim and stole his jewelry,\u201d a judge said during a bond court hearing.<\/p>\n
Investigators said the other two suspects, Cherry Gomez and Bastian Rojas, sped away in a 2025 BMW. Police said the stolen item was later sold at a pawnshop for $3,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay at least five hundred feet away from the victim,\u201d the judge ordered.<\/p>\n
All four suspects were booked into jail and are being held on immigration detainers.<\/p>\n
Diez encouraged shoppers to remain vigilant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you see something, dial 911. Call us. I guarantee we\u2019ll respond within a minute,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Operation Safe Holidays will remain in place through the start of 2026.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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