Demetrius Adams
By Isaac Ray
A Lauderhill man was arrested and charged with 16 counts of grand theft after being wanted for a string of robberies, including the theft of Apple watches from a Coral Springs store.
On August 21, Coral Springs Police received a call from the Target located at 4400 North State Road 7 about a retail theft a few days prior. Officers were shown surveillance footage of a man, later identified as Demetrius Adams, 41, asking an electronics associate to look at two Apple watches.
According to the report, as the associate went to ring Adams up for the purchase, he snatched the watches off the counter, made a run for an emergency exit, and out the door before employees were able to stop him.
During their investigation, police later learned numerous stores had similar incidents involving a man that fit the description of Adams.
On August 16, records show Adams allegedly stole a backpack full of deodorant from a Tamarac Walgreens.
Following this, records show Adams committed another watch heist on August 28 at a Deerfield Beach Target. In that incident, Adams brought a hammer into the store, smashed an Apple display, stashed the watches into an Igloo cooler, and fled the store through an emergency exit.
On October 26, Adams had a run-in at a Dollar General Store in Margate. There, records indicate Adams punched a female employee who attempted to stop him from leaving the store with a cart full of goods. Before the assault, Adams told employees who attempted to stop him that “he would punch them, and had AIDS.”
On December 19, BSO deputies attempted to pull over Adams over for a routine traffic stop in Pompano Beach, and as they approached the vehicle, Adams fled. Deputies were eventually able to capture and arrest him; however, later, multiple firearms were found in the backyard of a home Adams had run through during the chase.
In addition to his outstanding warrants for retail theft, Adams was charged with resisting arrest, concealing a firearm without a permit, and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.
Coral Springs Police closed their investigation last month after a deputy from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office recognized Adams and positively identified him as the same man who had committed similar crimes. Surveillance footage showed Adams wearing the same clothing he wore in the Coral Springs theft.
Charges stemming from the Coral Springs theft were added to a slew of other charges Adams faces. He is currently being held at the Broward County Main Jail without bond.
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