SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA: The Santa Monica Police Department has detained a suspect named Terrence Allen following a botched theft. The Florida man attempted to rob a $40,000 Rolex watch from a shop at 159 Santa Monica Place on August 21, 2023.

As per Santa Monica Daily Press, Allen demanded to view the watch and then made an attempt to flee with it. Employees of the store instantly activated the emergency alarms, which resulted in a timely police response.

Who is Terrence Allen?

26-year-old Florida man Terrence Allen was arrested in Santa Monica and later charged with grand theft (487PC) and armed robbery (211PC) by the Los Angeles District Attorney.

A $125,000 bail amount was set. Additionally, it was discovered that Allen had been sought for a robbery committed outside of Georgia.

The Santa Monica Police Department is requesting any individuals who may have additional details regarding the event or Allen to come forward. They can get in touch with the Watch Commander of the Santa Monica Police Department or Detective I Tavera of the Criminal Investigations Division.

What did Terrence Allen do?

On August 21, 2023, a robbery that was in progress at the Rolex store at 159 Santa Monica Place prompted the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) to send a team in.

City of Santa Monica dispatchers informed the police that store security was trying to detain the suspect while they were on their way. Police immediately took Allen into custody when they arrived.

Officers discovered through the course of the investigation that Allen entered the shop, asked to see a watch that was worth $40,000, and then tried to make a swift getaway.

But armed security personnel stopped him. The watch was eventually recovered after a brief struggle.

Florida man detained after attempting to rob Walmart

In an eerily similar incident, a Florida man was arrested after reportedly attempting to shoplift from a Walmart where a gathering of several police officers was taking place.

According to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, "Brad" was apprehended at a St Cloud Walmart after attempting to shoplift while roughly 40 deputies were present as part of a "Shop with a Cop" event, WTTV-TV reported.

The deputies were inside the Walmart store as part of a holiday shopping event for police officers and children. The police department released a picture of "Brad" with his hands bound behind his back and his pockets turned inside out.

The Facebook post also featured images of a perfume bottle, gloves, what looked like hedge clippers, a syringe, and a container with an unidentified plastic bag inside.