Burglary suspect who sobbed in court when judge recognized him from school is hauled back to court
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A Florida burglary defendant who wept after learning his judge had been his middle school classmate has wound up back in court on similar burglary charges.
In 2015, Arthur Nathaniel Booth — now 58 — was arrested on burglary and grand theft charges.
During his trial that year, Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer recognized Booth as one of her middle school classmates. In the clip, the judge asks Booth if he attended Nautilus Middle School, which triggers Booth’s memory.
Once Booth realized who the judge was, he began weeping in the court.
“I’m sorry to see you here,” Glazer says in the video. “I always wondered what happened to you, sir.”
Booth was overcome with emotion and crumbled in the courtroom. While he was regaining his composure, Glazer told the court about her history with the defendant, recalling how they used to play football together and insisting he was the “nicest” and “best kid” in their school.
“I hope you are able to come out of this OK and just lead a lawful life,” the judge told her former classmate.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to have been the case for Booth.
Miami Police arrested booth last week, accusing him of carrying out a series of snatch and grab robberies across the city, the New York Post reports.
In one case, Booth allegedly convinced an elderly man that he was a plumber and violently robbed him while he was inside his house, Local 10 reports.
Police said Booth allegedly “forcibly snatched” the man’s gold necklace and shoved him to the ground before fleeing the scene.
They also accused Booth of posing as a water inspector to gain access to another home, inside of which he allegedly stole a jewelry box.
Booth allegedly also approached a woman who was changing her tire and asked her for directions. When she turned away from him, he allegedly snatched her gold Gucci pendant chain and ran off.
Though Booth allegedly fled the scenes of the robberies, he was caught on surveillance video, which law enforcement used to hunt and eventually arrest him.
After police caught him, Booth was charged with multiple counts of burglary with assault or battery and robbery.
This time, Booth didn’t find an old classmate when he went to court; instead, he found a judge that denied him bond and locked him up at the local jail.
Booth will be held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center until his trial begins.
