COLUMBUS (WCMH) — A Columbus teen is out of the hospital after he was robbed and beaten unconscious, all because of a pair of shoes.
13-year-old Aiden Winter said he was so excited to buy his first pair of Air Jordan Sons of Mars shoes. Aiden bought the shoes three months ago, after working to mow grass in summer.
This past Sunday, Aiden, his sister and friend were walking to the store in west Columbus when he saw who he thought was an old friend.
“When I walked over there, he was like, ‘Hey I like your shoes’,” Aiden said. “He asked if they were real and I said yes.”
That’s when Aiden said the boy and nine others started to attack him.
“They started kicking me and punching me,” he said. “All I heard was my sister say, ‘Don’t take it, don’t take it [the shoes]’.”
Aiden’s mother, Erika Winter, said the attackers “punched and kicked him until he was unconscious, and then they kept punching and kicking him until someone called the police.”
“They stopped, took my shoes off, checked my pockets and ran,” Aiden said.
“It’s infuriating,” Erika Winter said. “They could’ve killed him.”
Aiden was rushed to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he spent a day recovering. Columbus police took a report and continue to investigate the incident.
On Monday evening, Aiden still had signs of the brawl across his face, head and on the right side of his body.
“Right now I feel fine, but earlier I was in a lot of pain,” said the teenager.
Erika Winter is relieved her son is home from the hospital but wants all of the young men who attacked Aiden to be held responsible.
“It’s reprehensible to beat a child into unconsciousness, and then beat him over tennis shoes,” she said. “I think the important thing is making sure these kids don’t do this to anybody else.”
‘They could’ve killed him’: Mom says son was beaten for his shoes
“It’s infuriating,” Erika Winter said. “They could’ve killed him.”
The added ‘price’ of overpriced ‘fashion’.
No one’s ever tried to steal MY shoes.
Or wanted to, for that matter. 🙄
They couldn’t fill them, anyway.
🙂
.
LOL… funny you should say that, galen. I barely fill the ones I’m wearing now, since I got them on sale yesterday at Bi-Mart ($24.77), and they had NO in-between sizes. I tried the 10s on, and they were too tight, so I had no option but to go to 11s. They’re a bit on the loose side, but not uncomfortably so.
I have 2 pairs that should be in the dumpster already, and another pair that’s more than halfway there, so I really needed these, and they’re insulated, which the others aren’t. I do have 2 pairs of waterproof boots, but I just can’t wear boots when it’s not raining (unless I’m going fishing or hiking in the woods).
When I’ve had shoes that are a bit too loose, I put in those cushioned foam soles. Only a few dollars and they really help.
🙂
That’ll work… if they get any looser, o.k. for now.
I had a pair of K-mart sneakers once and they ripped my feet to shreds. (bloody sox) I would have been better off going barefoot.
YIKES!!! 😯
Never had a pair THAT bad, JR.
Bunny Slippers in public will never be a fashion rage worth beating someone up for….
WHY??????
THEY SMELL THAT BAD?????
Like death to thieves, maybe.
Can we guess who did the beating ? My monies on Jamal, Darius, jamarius and temichael. Just a reminder facts and statistics aren’t racist. I’d love to be wrong.
Yeah, I was immediately thinking the same thing. No mention of race in this article, but Columbus is a gigantic ghetto so my money is on Jamal, Demetrius et al.
If the sister was old enough to carry a weapon, I hope she starts thinking about it now. ..and train, train, train!
When I was a kid people were getting beaten up for their Pumas. Now I guess Air Jordans are the new status symbol.
$124.00 for a pair of these shoes?
Yeah right…..