Shaquille Grant was jailed and named in headlines over $271,000 in stolen designer bags, then police admitted they had the wrong last name

A 31-year-old Miramar man has been released from jail after police admitted they arrested him by mistake in a theft investigation involving designer handbags valued at more than $271,000, according to WSVN. Shaquille Grant was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree grand theft, and he stayed in custody until Thursday night. Cameras captured him walking out of jail, and he did not comment on the wrongful arrest.

Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss said the department is “looking back” at the case and that “obviously there was a mistake made.” “We had a crime happen back in August,” Moss said, adding that a statement was taken from a victim in early September. A woman reported that her pricey handbags were taken from her home by someone she knew and never returned.

Investigators later found the items at a business that resells high-end merchandise, and police said the handbags were brought there as a loan. The reported stolen items included five Hermès pieces and one Chanel piece, each valued at $20,000 or more. The woman told police she had asked someone to take one handbag to be professionally cleaned, but six were taken.

Police say the notice carried the wrong last name

Somewhere along the way, police were given Grant’s name. Moss said a “Not in custody” notice, “kind of like a warrant,” was issued in that name. He said the notice comes from the State Attorney’s Office and carried Grant’s name “rather than the name of the person who should have been arrested.” Officials later found that investigators had the correct first name but the wrong last name.

“How that happened, those are the things we’re trying to figure out,” Moss said. He added that once authorities discovered the error, they worked quickly to expedite Grant’s release so that he would not stay behind bars longer than necessary. The chief explained that the name on the notice “should have been another person’s last name,” which is what investigators are now trying to explain.

The Broward State Attorney’s Office released a statement saying prosecutors worked with the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Miramar police to immediately drop the case against Grant. Grant is no longer facing any serious charges. However, authorities said the original grand theft investigation remains active, and they are still searching for the correct subject who took the handbags.

Cases involving luxury goods tend to draw heavy attention online, including the jewelry stolen from Kim Kardashian, where robbers took about $6 million worth. She later received €1 in compensation. In Miramar, the original handbag theft is still being investigated, and police are searching for the person they say should have been named on the notice.

Moss said the department’s priority is to “make sure that you are whole.” He also offered an apology, saying, “we can only apologize and work to make sure that we make the system better so these things don’t happen.” Local10 reported that the woman whose handbags were reported stolen, described as a social media influencer, also says police arrested the wrong person in the case.

The department is still working to explain how the error happened. Further details about the notice, the review of the arrest or the search for the correct suspect could emerge over the coming weeks as police and prosecutors continue their work.