A woman was murdered following a dispute over 3 pairs of Yeezy sneakers - and it reveals a dark side of the $2 billion dollar resale industry
- A young woman was murdered on Tuesday, April 7, following a dispute over three pairs of sneakers.
- Police arrested Adrian Cosby and George Walton, both 19 years old, on Sunday in connection with the murder of Andrea Camps Lacayo.
- According to arrest warrants, Sergio Berben and his girlfriend, Andrea Camps Lacayo, went to sell three pairs of sneakers for $935 to the defendants. The Miami Herald reported that the sneakers were three pairs of Adidas Yeezys.
- "Violence in sneakers is a big issue," expert in sneaker law Jared Goldstein told Business Insider. "When reselling started becoming popular, there was a lot of violence that was involved."
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A murder involving three pairs of Yeezy sneakers has led to the arrest of two suspects.
Adrian Cosby and George Walton, both 19 years old, were arrested on Sunday in connection with the murder of Andrea Camps Lacayo, a Miami-area high school senior.
According to arrest warrants, Sergio Berben and his girlfriend, Camps Lacayo, went to sell three pairs of sneakers for $935 to defendant George Walton at 12041 SW 271 Street in Homestead, Florida, on Tuesday, April 7, at 1:15 p.m. The Miami Herald reported that Camps Lacayo was selling three pairs of Adidas Yeezys.
Sneakers from Kanye West's Yeezy line with Adidas typically sell for around $220 at retail and can resell for as high as $450 a pair.
The arrest warrant for Walton outlined how Berben told Walton to show him the money before allowing him to try on the shoes, after which Cosby approached the vehicle and shot both passengers. Camps Lacayo was later pronounced dead at Jackson South Medical Center.
Walton told police that his intention was to steal the sneakers after trying them on.
18-year-old Camps Lacayo was reportedly set to graduate from Terra Environmental Research Institute in a few weeks. The school released a statement regarding the incident on Twitter.
"Violence in sneakers is a big issue," expert in sneaker law Jared Goldstein told Business Insider. "When reselling started becoming popular, there was a lot of violence that was involved."
Goldstein, who is currently the legal counsel at LiveIntent, a marketing company, and the author of the upcoming book Sneaker Law, said that violence in sneaker resale was more common before business shifted to digital apps like StockX and Stadium Goods.
"People would use Craigslist and they would meet up and be held at gunpoint for sneakers," Goldstein said of the earlier days of resale. "That violence continues to this day."
In July, police shut down a pop-up selling Arizona Iced Tea-branded Adidas sneakers for $.99 in New York City after two teenagers were assaulted at the event while on line.
"I can't be out here, risking my life for a pair of 99-cent sneakers," an eyewitness told Business Insider at the time.