The man who was recognized by a judge from his high school days while being reprimanded for a crime found himself back in court, appearing before the same magistrate once again.
Arthur Nathaniel Booth, 58, is behind bars for a series of alleged jewelry robberies in Miami that took place earlier this month. He has been charged with multiple crimes, including robbery, burglary and breaking and entering.
Sadly, it appears Booth has fallen back on his old ways despite his hopeful reunion with judge Mindy Glazer in 2015, after their random encounter in 2015 was watched by millions of people.
At the time, Glazer had expressed hope that Booth would change his behavior.
Nine years later, however, that appears not to have been the case. Booth looked visibly uncomfortable and avoided looking at his former classmate when he introduced himself to her once again on Tuesday morning.
“I want to say hello to Arthur,” Glazer said. “I wish it weren’t so. I can’t hear the case. I’m going to get another judge to handle it. I hope everything works out for you.”
Arthur Nathaniel Booth, 58, has been arrested in connection with a series of recent robberies in Miami
According to Miami police spokesman Freddie Cruz, Booth attacked several victims in August. In one incident, he posed as a water inspector to enter a home, where he stole jewelry and fled, according to investigators.
In another case, he allegedly posed as a plumber and snatched a gold chain from the neck of an 85-year-old man as he bent down to turn on the faucet in his bathtub.
The victim said NBC South Florida She had received the Saint Lazarus pendant as a gift from Cuba and the loss was devastating.
In a third alleged incident, police say Booth approached a woman to ask for directions and then snatched her necklace.
“A guy like this should be behind bars,” Cruz said.
Authorities suspect Booth may be responsible for additional thefts and are currently investigating.
His latest brush with the law comes nearly a decade after his emotional conversation with Judge Glazer in 2015.
In a room filled with tension, Glazer unexpectedly asked Booth if he had attended Nautilus High School.
Extraordinary moment: Judge Mindy Glazer and Arthur Booth had not seen each other in more than three decades when he appeared in the courtroom for a bail hearing. He is charged with robbery and fleeing from police.
Booth had already cried when his former schoolmate called out to him from behind his bench. As the judge showered him with fond memories, she remembered him as “the nicest kid in high school.”
“He was the best kid in high school,” Glazer added. “I used to play football with him, with all the guys, and look what’s happened.”
In the video, later posted online and which has since garnered more than 68 million views, Glazer offered words of encouragement.
“I’m sorry to see you here,” Glazer said, expressing his disappointment. “I always wondered what happened to you, sir.”
Booth, visibly moved, began to cry.
The emotional encounter ended with a dose of reality when Judge Glazer set Booth’s bail at $43,000. But she had some comforting parting words for her former classmate.
“The sad thing is how old we’ve become. Good luck, sir. I hope you can get through this safely and lead a normal life.”
Booth is currently being held without bail.
It wasn’t always like this
Fifty years ago, prison was not on the horizon when Booth was selected to attend Nautilus Middle School, one of Miami’s premier schools, after excelling at William J. Bryant Elementary School.
His parents, Hilda and Fresswell, were delighted that their eldest son had been selected for this prestigious institution.
Booth, a self-taught Spanish speaker with a talent for mathematics and science, was considered a bright and promising student.
Her aunt, Betty Knight, told DailyMail.com about her exceptional abilities and her parents’ pride in her achievements.
Booth’s journey to Nautilus involved a 30-minute bus ride from his home in North Miami. He consistently earned good grades and was on track for a successful future.
It was at Nautilus that he met Glazer, who also attended the school and later became a judge.
Booth graduated from Nautilus in 1980 and continued his education at Miami Beach High School. However, his academic goals were thwarted by a gambling addiction he developed during his high school years, leading him to drop out of school in the 11th grade.
Gambling consumed Booth’s life, leading him to turn to theft to support his addiction. He committed a number of robberies and thefts, but never resorted to violence.
Both Arthur Booth, the future serial killer, and Mindy Glazer, the Vistas judge at Nautilus High School where convicted felon Arthur Booth studied
“Arthur would gamble on anything, anytime,” his cousin Melissa Miller, 27, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.
‘If it weren’t for Arthur’s addictions to gambling and drugs, he wouldn’t be where he is.
‘That was his downfall. He is not a violent person and has not harmed anyone, but to feed his addictions he always needed money and it was easier to steal.’
In 1980, at age 18, Booth was arrested for grand larceny and spent time in prison. His troubles continued into the 1980s, when he became addicted to crack, a common substance in Miami at the time.
Despite family members’ attempts to intervene, Booth’s addiction spiraled out of control.
In 1988, at age 22, Booth was sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbery and theft. He served 10 years before being released on parole.
After his release, Booth had difficulty finding employment due to his criminal record.
“It was tough for him when he got out because he couldn’t get a job. Nobody wanted to hire a repeat offender. He would look for work and get turned down,” Melissa said.
“The same thing happened when he was trying to find an apartment. He was a criminal and nobody wanted him.”
His family revealed that Arthur Booth was selected for Nautilus High School because of his intelligence and his dream was to become a neurosurgeon (pictured: Booth in the 1979 Nautilus High School yearbook)
Glazer, who served as a judge in the 2015 court encounter with Booth, had some comforting parting words for his former classmate: “Mr. Booth, I hope you can change your ways, and I wish you good luck,” he said. (Pictured: Glazer in the 1979 Nautilus High School yearbook)
The only upside to prison was that he was able to kick his drug addiction, but his weakness for gambling remained.
In 1997, at the age of 31, Booth was on active duty alongside other inmates helping to clean up trash from the streets around Miami.
Despite being near the end of his sentence, Booth fled his jobs and went on the run.
His family hid him and he remained free for almost two months until he was captured while attending a Miami Heat basketball game.
By 2015, Booth had spent the past 15 years in and out of prison. While he had expressed good intentions, his circumstances led him back to criminal activity.
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