What was shaping up as Toronto’s Great Shoe Robbery will go down as Toronto Police’s Incredible Sneaker Sting.
After the NBA All-Star Game earlier this month, the most popular item on the street was none other than Air Jordan Retro basketball sneakers.
“They are a hot item and a status symbol,” Det. Shawn Whittall of 54 Division said. “They were selling on social media sites for hundreds of dollars.”
Hence why a trio of teen boys, two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old, allegedly ventured onto Facebook looking for people selling the Michael Jordan court shoes that were sold out in stores.
“They were communicating through Facebook with people selling their shoes and setting up a meet,” Whittall said.
What was shaping up as Toronto’s Great Shoe Robbery will go down as Toronto Police’s Incredible Sneaker Sting.
After the NBA All-Star Game earlier this month, the most popular item on the street was none other than Air Jordan Retro basketball sneakers.
“They are a hot item and a status symbol,” Det. Shawn Whittall of 54 Division said. “They were selling on social media sites for hundreds of dollars.”
Hence why a trio of teen boys, two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old, allegedly ventured onto Facebook looking for people selling the Michael Jordan court shoes that were sold out in stores.
“They were communicating through Facebook with people selling their shoes and setting up a meet,” Whittall said.
But when it came time to pay, on Feb. 18 in the Woodbine and Danforth area, the only thing they flashed was a knife, police said.
Then the same set play again on Feb. 20.
“On two occasions that we know of they got away with the Air Jordan shoes,” Whittall said, adding the victims were only 17 and 18.
Two of the alleged shoe thieves were now fitted up with the popular Nike footwear, but the three-point shot didn’t work out quite as well.
Detectives wore out some shoe leather working this case.
“There was some tracking on social media and some video surveillance,” Whittall said.
Then the old fake left and dribble right.
“We had an idea of their M.O.,” the detective said.
The teens had no idea about the defensive scheme Toronto Police drew up to stop them from scoring again. It was time for a little gumshoe razzle-dazzle.
The culprits thought they’d found another pair of Air Jordan Retros for sale and set up a meeting on Monday.
“They were surprised when they saw it was us they were meeting up with,” Whittall said. “But they were arrested without incident.”
They knew the game was over. The players in blue were the all-stars.
The 17-year-old is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of possession of a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, uttering a threat, and failure to comply with a recognizance. One of the 15-year-olds is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of possession of a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of stolen goods. The other 15-year-old is charged with robbery.
The good news is the victims will be getting back their Air Jordans and police would love to hear from anybody else robbed in the same way.
Score this one as a slam dunk for the cops.
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