A gang of teenagers beat down a 15-year-old in order to steal his “Yeezy” shoes, and bystanders watched and recorded the assault without helping the victim, police said.
Investigators said the incident unfolded at a basketball court in Haverford Township, Delaware County in Pennsylvania, on Monday at about 9:15 p.m.
Police said that bystanders stood by and recorded the assault on the boy and later posted the video on social media. They used the video in order to identify and arrest one suspect.
One video shows a number of teenagers punching and kicking the victim while he laid on the ground.
“It’s kind of disturbing that these other individuals are just standing around filming this poor kid on the ground,” said Deputy Chief Joseph Hagan of the Haverford Township Police Department.
Videos from social media showing the assault were obtained and published by WPVI-TV.
Police believe the gang was after the teenager’s Yeezy slides, which are worth up to $300 in listings online.
Hagan said that the teenager had gone to play basketball not expecting to be jumped. He was able to run away from the attackers and knock on the door of a home in the neighborhood.
The resident there called 911, unlike the bystanders outside who simply recorded the assault on their phones.
Police are searching for five other individuals involved in the beating. They believe the suspects to be aged between 14 and 17 years old.
“They’re facing at least aggravated assault, robbery and other related offenses,” added Hagan, who said two had been identified and police were confident that they would be able to identify the rest of the suspects.
The one suspect arrested had in their possession the victim’s shoes, said police.
The mother of the boy assaulted told WPVI that he’s doing OK physically.
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