DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Deputy Chief of Police Robert Christopherson announced today, Sunday, March 9, 2025, that Judge Anthony Coco has granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for a Chicago suspected accused of attempting to rob a man whom he had arranged a transaction to sell two pairs of shoes.
Tajuan Brassel, age 18, of the 6300 block of South Kildare Avenue in Chicago, appeared in First Appearance Court this morning, Sunday, March 9, 2025, charged with one count of Attempt Armed Robbery (Class 1 Felony).
Oak Brook police officers responded about 6:34 p.m. Thursday, March 6, 2025 to a call of an armed robbery in a parking lot in the 2100 W. block of 22nd Street. Following an investigation into the matter, police discovered the victim and Brassel arranged to meet in the parking lot for a transaction to purchase a pair of Balenciaga shoes and a pair of Lavin shoes from Brassel for $350. The victim approached Brassel, who was in the driver’s seat of a 2016 Nissan Altima, and once at the car, Brassel showed him both sets of shoes that were sitting on the passenger seat. Brassel told the victim he would give him the shoes once he received the money. However, when the victim had the cash in his, and Brassel reached inside his jacket with his right hand and pulled out a black handgun with an extended magazine, and pointed the gun at the victim. Police later determined the gun was actually a bb gun.
The victim ran away and called 911 from a nearby store. At approximately 9:16 p.m., Brassell was located traveling southbound on I-90/94 near 52nd Street. He was taken into custody by the Illinois State Police and Chicago Police Department near I-90/94 and 63rd Street.
“While buying and selling items with someone you met online is increasingly commonplace, there are still risks involved. 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.”
— DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin
“This was a very serious incident that will not be tolerated in here in Oak Brook. 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.”
— Oak Brook Deputy Chief of Police Robert Christopherson
Brassel’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 24, 2025, in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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