A 13-year-old Aurora boy has been charged with armed robbery after allegedly holding a mother and son at gunpoint while robbing them of a pair of sneakers.

According to Aurora Police Department spokesman Dan Ferrelli, the victims agreed to sell the suspect the shoes after meeting him on a social media application.

They agreed to meet in the area of Randall Road and North Glen Circle around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 to conduct their transaction. The woman was making change for the suspect and had cash in her hands when the suspect pulled out a handgun and demanded the woman’s purse and the shoes they had intended to sell, Ferrelli said.

The teen ran from the scene as the woman flagged-down a passing car for help.

“Thanks largely to the instincts of one of our detectives, the case was quickly concluded,” Ferrelli said.

Shortly after the robbery, the detective heard the call go out over his radio and recognized the physical description of the robbery suspect. It was that of a13-year-old he had had numerous contacts with in the past.

Ferrelli said the detective also recognized that the teen suspect lives in the same general area where the crime took place. The detective’s suspicions were confirmed after he spoke with the victims at the scene.

The teen suspect turned himself in the next day and was promptly taken to the Youth Home after being charged with one count of armed robbery and two counts of attempted armed robbery, according to police.

“The incident serves as another reminder of the importance of utilizing our specially-designated area for conducting Internet-based transactions in the front of our police headquarters,” Ferrelli said. “If one of the parties doesn’t want to meet at the police department to buy or sell an item, they may not be who they’re purporting to be.”

Earlier this year, the Aurora Police Department designated four parking spots in its parking lot for online transactions to occur. The spots are well lit and under surveillance to assure purchasers and sellers alike that no funny business will occur during the exchange.

“Like most cities, we’ve investigated frequent crimes stemming from people doing transactions over the internet or using social media apps,” Ferrelli said.

Tips for reducing your chances of becoming a victim include:

– Bring someone along to the transaction;

– Make sure family or friend is aware of transaction details;

– Meet somewhere public and during daylight hours;

– Do not go into someone’s home or allow someone into yours;

– Trust your instincts, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

—  Aurora teen arrested on armed robbery over shoes —-