Boston man – Steven Zamot, 34, pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to charges tied to a Sept. 25, 2025 South Bay Mall shoplifting case that prosecutors say turned into an attack on a Boston police officer, sending the officer to a hospital for neck and back pain.
When Boston police arrived at South Bay Mall after a shoplifting incident, the moment police tried to detain Steven Zamot, prosecutors say, the confrontation turned physical—fast.
Zamot. 34. pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court and was sentenced Tuesday to three to four-and-a-half years in state prison for unarmed carjacking. assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. and larceny from a building. Prosecutors also said he received a concurrent two-year sentence for assault and battery on a police officer.
The case began, prosecutors said, on Sept. 25, 2025, when Zamot stole $40 worth of merchandise from the T.J. Maxx at South Bay Mall. Prosecutors said he had previously been barred from the store. As he left, he told loss prevention employees, “Call the cops. I’ll just get released,” according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s office.
After officers arrived, prosecutors said they saw the stolen merchandise in Zamot’s possession and attempted to detain him. Zamot punched one officer, then jumped into her marked cruiser. Authorities said Zamot attempted to operate the cruiser and continued assaulting the officer by slamming her head against the cruiser’s windshield.
The officer was taken to a local hospital for neck and back pain, prosecutors said. After officers removed Zamot from the cruiser, he fled on foot but was arrested a short distance away near New Market station, the district attorney’s office said.
In a statement. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said. “This case represents an extreme example of a retail-based crime turning violent. and incarceration is appropriate. ” adding that while the sentence is justified. “we are committed to using non-incarceration approaches whenever appropriate to address the root causes of why people commit retail-based crimes.”.
Prosecutors said Zamot has a criminal record dating to 2009 that spans 20 pages, though Hayden’s office did not provide details about his prior charges.
Zamot’s defense attorney, Tanvi Verma, said in a statement to Boston.com, “I have known Steven to be a gentleman.” Verma continued, “As with anyone, there is so much more to him than any charge can begin to encapsulate.”
Steven Zamot South Bay Mall T.J. Maxx Boston police Suffolk Superior Court Kevin Hayden carjacking assault and battery with a dangerous weapon larceny from a building New Market station
3 to 4.5 years for stealing like $40? Sounds insane but also how did it turn into that fast.
Call the cops and he’ll just get released??? That quote is wild. Also unarmed carjacking?? makes me think the charges are all over the place.
I read somewhere it was just a shoplifting thing and then suddenly assault with a dangerous weapon? Like the mall security probably escalated it. Not saying it’s ok, but $40 vs all that prison time feels crazy.
“Non-incarceration approaches” lol ok but he punched an officer and tried to drive off in her cruiser. That’s not a root-cause issue that’s just violence. Also “barred from the store” doesn’t mean anything if they keep letting people walk around malls anyway.