AVENTURA, Fla. – A veteran Broward County prosecutor has been suspended after she was arrested on a shoplifting charge.
Stacey Honowitz, 56, was arrested Saturday while trying to steal $42.93 worth of beauty products from a Publix on Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura, police said.
According to an arrest affidavit, Honowitz concealed three beauty products in her purse and was stopped while trying to leave the supermarket.
Honowitz's attorney, Jayne Weintraub, called the incident an "honest mistake."
"She inadvertently did not pay for the cosmetics when she checked out and paid for her $130 groceries," Weintraub said. "She did not even leave the store after she paid. She then purchased lottery tickets and was chatting with another customer. There was no intent to commit a crime at all."
Honowitz is a 30-year veteran of the Broward County state attorney's office and serves as supervisor of the sex crimes and child abuse unit, according to her website. She is also the author of two books on child molestation, "My Privates Are Private" and "Genius with a Penis: Don't Touch."
"We have been made aware of the incident by the prosecutor. She has been suspended pending an administrative review," Constance Simmons told Local 10 News in a statement Monday. "She will be utilizing her vacation time until we complete the investigation."