Woman Steals $1900 Bracelet at Disney World
Wish on a star all you want, but don’t neglect to set up a good security camera. WDW News Today reports that a woman was arrested in December of 2023 for stealing a Pandora charm bracelet while visiting a store in The Magic Kingdom, one of Disney World’s parks. Intesar Khudair Lafta, a 45-year-old Texas woman, is accused of swiping the jewelry while the shopkeeper wasn’t looking. And this wasn’t some chintzy theme park bauble; the bracelet was a limited edition item worth $1900. The bracelet was made to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary and had charms shaped like various Disney characters that were crafted by Pandora, plus a 14-karat gold accent, which is why it was worth so much. The charms range in value from $150-$250. Lafta was accompanied by a 13-year-old girl, though the report doesn’t say if the two were related or whether the child was part of the theft; after she was caught on video, security stopped Lafta, and when she and the teenager were removed from Disney property for trespassing, Lafta was arrested, while the teenager was released into the custody of her older brother, who is an adult. Lafta has a court hearing scheduled for March 28, 2024, and the store manager wants to press charges.
Guest Arrested for Stealing Disney100 Pandora Charms from Uptown Jewelers at Magic Kingdomhttps://t.co/bWFP1RRc1f
— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) March 18, 2024
Am I the only one who imagined the Sticky Bandits being behind this? Like, Marv waits for the clerk to turn around and swipes the bracelet with his Velcro-gloved hand? (This would, of course, happen at Christmastime while Kevin McCallister was on his own in The Magic Kingdom while his family was in Euro Disney, or whatever they call it now.) But seriously, I’m sure Disney World has dealt with theft plenty of times – as the constant news stories reiterate, everyone goes to Disney World, even trash – but this has to be at least one of the biggest heists the park has ever seen. The details suggest it could have been a matter of convenience, but I don’t know about that; why would someone ask to see a piece of jewelry that expensive if they weren’t going to buy it or steal it? This is also yet another story of a crime or disturbing incident involving Disney World that WDW News Today is reporting on months later and only learned of due to newly released public records. Does this mean Disney is having these things hushed up to keep people from seeing their park as a hotbed of criminal activity? The last thing they need is prospective guests worrying that they’ll have to fight their way past violent thugs to get to Space Mountain. But if it wasn’t obvious already, keep your pockets zipped when you’re strolling through Fantasyland.
