Farmington Hills Teen Robbed of Gym Shoe Money

A 14-year-old from Farmington Hills told police that three men robbed him of $526 and his cell phone on Sept. 5, after he tried to back out of a deal to purchase gym shoes from someone he met in a Facebook group.

According to a report filed with on Sept. 6, a administrator called police to report the off-campus robbery. The student told officers he didn't report the incident, because he was in shock after it happened.

The report indicated that the teen set up the deal to buy the shoes in the Facebook group "Buying and Selling Kicks Detroit". He agreed to meet the seller at one location, but the seller changed the meeting spot. The teen told police he rode his bicycle to an area behind businesses at 12 Mile and Halsted, where he met three men in a vehicle. One of the passengers showed him an empty box and asked to see the cash, then wanted to check the money to make sure it wasn't counterfeit. 

As the passenger was checking the money at a nearby business, the teen became suspicious and said he didn't want to purchase the shoes. The two walked back to the car, where another passenger told the teen he had a gun and demanded the cash and the teen's cell phone, according to the report. 

The teen told police he would check his phone bill to see whether the phone was used after it was taken. 

The "Buying and Selling Kicks Detroit" Facebook group has more than 4,600 members. The rules for the group advise members that all meet-ups are at their own risk.