Dadeland Mall Shoplifting Loss Tops $12,000
Police say a 21-year-old allegedly walked out of Victoria's Secret and Aeropostale with bags of unpaid merchandise.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Property Crime
Shoppers and store staff at Dadeland Mall, the big south-Miami-Dade mall, saw a $12,000-plus shoplifting case unfold this week after police arrested a 21-year-old man accused of walking out of Victoria's Secret and Aeropostale with bags of merchandise unpaid. The arrest came after a store tip led officers to him near Saks Fifth Avenue.
Why it matters
A loss of more than $12,000 in one afternoon is the kind of theft that gets passed on to shoppers through prices and security costs. For Miami-Dade retailers and the people who work their floors, it shows how quickly a single visit can turn into a major loss.
Police put the total value of the stolen items at $12,176.50, with $1,199.82 of that taken from Aeropostale alone. Bourouis was held on a $5,000 bond, and the extraction does not indicate how much of the total has been recovered beyond the Aeropostale items returned to the store.
The players
Wissem Bourouis
The 21-year-old man arrested and charged with third-degree grand theft and retail theft in connection with the Dadeland Mall shoplifting incidents.
Victoria's Secret
The retailer whose Dadeland Mall store was the first location where the alleged theft was reported, and which confirmed the suspect's identity to police.
Aeropostale
The retailer where police say Bourouis took merchandise into a changing room and left with an unpaid bag, with $1,199.82 in goods later returned to the store.
The details
Police received a call around 2 p.m. Wednesday about a suspected shoplifter at the Victoria's Secret store in Dadeland Mall. The caller said the suspect had placed items into numerous bags and left roughly 50 minutes later without paying. Officers found 21-year-old Wissem Bourouis near Saks Fifth Avenue carrying multiple Victoria's Secret bags, and the store confirmed he was the suspect. Police say he also went into an Aeropostale changing room carrying an empty beige bag and left with it appearing full, and later returned to a fitting room with a red Target bag and left with that one looking full too. Bourouis is charged with third-degree grand theft and retail theft and is being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Timeline
Around 2 p.m. Wednesday: police receive call about a suspected shoplifter at Victoria's Secret in Dadeland Mall.
About 50 minutes later: Bourouis allegedly leaves the store without paying.
Wednesday: police find Bourouis near Saks Fifth Avenue carrying Victoria's Secret bags.
Beyond the 305
Florida charges thefts above $750 as third-degree grand theft, and this case applies that charge to alleged losses above $12,000 across two Dadeland Mall stores. Like other Miami-Dade retail theft cases, it shows how a single shopping trip can be prosecuted under the state's grand theft rules.
If you shop at Dadeland Mall, this case is a reminder that retailers there are watching closely and reporting suspected theft to police quickly. Keep your receipts and be aware of how bags and fitting rooms are being used during busy afternoons.
The takeaway
Retail theft in Miami-Dade often ends in a bond and a court date, but the losses are passed along to every shopper through prices and security. If you work in or shop at a Dadeland Mall store, keep an eye on bag-heavy visitors and report suspicious behavior to staff right away.
Further reading
For more on how theft cases like this are handled locally, see Property Crime coverage across Miami.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mail Online.
