Mall Employee Thwarts Thief as Bullets Fly

A Mayors jewelry employee at Westfield Citrus Park was able to stop a thief’s attempts at stealing a necklace worth thousands, but a capture of the man responsible just wasn’t in the cards Monday.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began to unfold around 6:45 p.m. at Westfield Citrus Park when a man approached a sales associate about buying a necklace for his mother. The associate let the man try on a necklace, worth several thousand dollars, the agency wrote in an email to media. With the necklace in his possession, the man ran west through the mall.

Not willing to be duped, the associate chased the suspect toward the entrance to Dick’s Sporting Goods. The suspect, deputies say, turned and fired a single shot toward his pursuer. He then ran outside the mall and into the parking lot. The sales associate, however, wasn’t giving up.

A brief struggle ensued and another shot was fired. The associate managed to get the necklace back, but the suspect fled in what is believed to be a 2010 or later white, four-door Hyundai Elantra, deputies say.

No injuries were reported in the attempted theft. The store employee has not been identified by authorities.

Deputies are now looking for a white male between the ages of 20 and 25. He has a medium build, brown hair and wears thick prescription-type glasses. The man stands between 6 feet and 6 feet, 3 inches in height. He was last seen wearing a white long sleeve shirt with green sleeves, a Detroit Red Wings cap and white colored shorts with black tennis shoes. It is believed he was carrying a black .32-caliber semiautomatic firearm.

Anyone with information about the man is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200. Tips may also be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-873-TIPS or going online to www.crimestopperstb.com.

Surveillance photos courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office