Bond denied for Chicago man charged in suburban armed robbery: prosecutors
OAK BROOK, Ill. - A Chicago man accused of attempting an armed robbery with a BB gun in Oak Brook was denied pre-trial release Sunday.
Tajuan Brassel, 18, appeared in court Sunday morning on one count of attempted armed robbery, a Class 1 felony.
Pictured is Tajuan Brassel, 18. (DuPage County State's Attorney)
Bond Denied for Chicago Man Charged in Suburban Armed Robbery
What we know:
Brassel’s charge stems from an incident at 6:34 p.m. March 6 in a parking lot in the 2100 block of W. 22nd Street.
A male victim had arranged to meet Brassel in the parking lot to purchase a pair of Balenciaga shoes and a pair of Lavin shoes for $350, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The victim approached Brassel, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Altima. Brassel showed him both pairs of shoes, sitting on the passenger seat.
Brassel told the man he would hand over the shoes once he received the money.
When the victim held out the cash, Brassel reached into his jacket with his right hand, pulled out a handgun with an extended magazine, and pointed it at the victim, authorities said. The gun was later discovered to be a BB gun.
The victim fled and called 911 from a nearby store.
Police located Brassel at 9:16 p.m. traveling southbound on I-90/94 near 52nd Street. He was arrested near I-90/94 and 63rd Street by Illinois State Police and Chicago police.
What they're saying:
"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. "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. We are all thankful that the victim in this case was not physically harmed. I thank the Oak Brook Police Department for their outstanding work in identifying the defendant in this case as well as the Illinois State Police and the Chicago Police Department for their work in apprehending Mr. Brassel. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Kevin Kosman and Anna Derkacz for their efforts in preparing charges against Mr. Brassel."
"This was a very serious incident that will not be tolerated in here in Oak Brook," Oak Brook Deputy Chief of Police Robert Christopherson said. "Our message is clear, if you come to Oak Brook to commit a crime you will be arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law. We have a motivated team of highly-trained officers working toward keeping Oak Brook safe. I want to commend the responding officers, and detectives for their dedication and hard work in quickly identifying the offender and getting him into custody. I’d also like to thank the agencies that assisted us with this incident, especially the Chicago Police Department. Finally, I’d like to thank State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his team for their assistance and guidance on this case."
What's next:
Brassel will remain in custody until his next court appearance on March 24.