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This needs to stop. Now.
The report below is from WBHH NBC 2.
A Cape Coral, FL teen wanted to sell a pair of “Aunt Pearl” Nike Zoom KD IVs on Facebook through a group page for an asking price of $325.
Fort Myers Police say the teen got a response from another teen who agreed to meet him and pay him the full amount. They were to meet Sunday afternoon at the Palm Vista Apartments at 3832 Central Avenue.
Once at the apartment complex, the teen who is 14, was told to follow the buyer into an apartment so the teen’s mom could inspect the goods. The 14-year-old was driven to the apartments by his mom who along with his sister remained in the car.
While the teen was walking to the apartment, an unidentified male grabbed the 14-year-old grabbed him from behind while the teen he was meeting turned around and pulled out a knife. He demanded the shoes and his watch.
Fort Myers Police were contacted once the 14-year-old told his mom what happened and a search ensued. Police located the suspect with the knife inside an apartment complex nearby called The Park at Veneto with weapon, shoes and watch.
The teen was arrested on armed robbery and grand theft. He is identified as 16-year-old Dexion Justabe of Fort Myers.
“The risk is high when purchasing goods from a stranger in this fashion. If you choose to take that risk have the other party meet at a well-lit public venue,”said police spokesperson Lieutenant Victor Medico.
I, for one, am tired of seeing things like this happen again and again. Sneaker crime is nothing new, but it seems like more and more we are seeing the wave happen to kids younger and younger. Words can’t describe how happy I am to hear that the 14-year-old victim was not physically hurt, but can only imagine the psychological damage that was caused by the incident.
We have reached out to the Fort Myers Police Department to encourage that they join other police departments in allowing people to meet at their stations to carry out transactions in a safe and controlled environment.
What makes this story even harder to stomach as a person who has written and blogged about shoes for almost a decade is which shoes were involved in this crime – the very first pair of Aunt Pearl KDs. Kevin Durant and Nike produced this limited and sought after shoe in memory of his late and beloved aunt who unfortunately passed away in 2000 of lung cancer. The shoes are not only a tribute to his late loved one, but also to raise awareness.
It is terribly unfortunate that a shoe that has so much significance beyond the leather and rubber that constructs it was involved in a crime.
To all sneakerheads, please stay safe and call your local police department to encourage that they allow meet-ups in their stations. If you do take part in face-to-face transactions, bring a buddy and make sure that you are always in a safe place to meet.
To all parents of sneakerheads, please discuss with your children the importance of staying safe and offer to be present for any meet-up transactions.
Sneakers are great. We love them. But when it comes to your own the safety and wellbeing of you or anyone else, they’re just shoes.
Nike Zoom KD IV “Aunt Pearl”
