Shoe Deal Gone Bad In Oak Brook: Cops

OAK BROOK, IL – A man who arranged a meeting to sell shoes in an Oak Brook parking lot ended up pulling a gun on the buyer, police said.

Tajuan Brassel, 18, of Chicago, was arrested on a charge of attempted armed robbery, authorities said.

About 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Brassel met with the buyer in the 2100 block of West 22nd Street in Oak Brook, according to a news release from DuPage County prosecutors.

Brassel had indicated he would sell pairs of Balenciaga and Lanvin shoes for $350, police said. That price is far less than what those brands typically cost.

The buyer approached Brassel, who was in the driver's seat of a 2016 Nissan Altima. Brassel showed the man both pairs of shoes, police said.

Brassel told the buyer that he would give him the shoes once the buyer had cash in his hand. Then Brassel reached inside his jacket with his right hand and pulled out a black handgun with an extended magazine, later determined to be a BB gun, police said.

Brassel is accused of pointing the gun at the man.

The buyer ran away and called 911 from a nearby store. About 2½ hours later, Brassel was found traveling south on Interstate 90 near 52nd Street, police said. Chicago and state police arrested him.

"While buying and selling items with someone you met online is increasingly commonplace, there are still risks involved," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the news release. "There are simple steps you can take to protect yourself when conducting such transactions such as always meet in a public place during daylight hours, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, and keep your cell phone charged and nearby, just to name a few."