An 18-year-old is in severe condition after a shoe sale turned into a robbery during which the victim was dragged by a car, according to police. Now, the Woodward High School student is fighting for his life.
Family members inform 13 Action News. Joaquin Simmons, commonly known as Wak, sustained a catastrophic brain injury. He enjoys fashion, and according to his family, he frequently sells and coordinates his wardrobe online via Facebook Marketplace.
According to Toledo police reports, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. Simmons traveled to the 500 block of East Oakland to sell sneakers on Facebook Marketplace.
One of Simmons’ family members informed investigators that an argument broke out about a pair of Balenciaga shoes, including their validity and price. That family member expressed concern about the contact and snapped a snapshot of the suspect’s vehicle license plate.
The suspect car’s driver observed her taking the photo, and the passenger stole Simmons’ sneakers. He refused to remove his shoes, and the driver of the suspect vehicle accelerated down the street. According to the allegation, the 18-year-old continued to cling to the front seat passenger as the car drove away, eventually fighting over the pair of shoes.
The victim’s family member informed detectives that she witnessed the passenger hitting the victim in the head with a revolver while pulling his hair. The car accelerated down Mulberry toward Streicher, flinging him off.
“We saw them holding his hair and punching him, and then they flung him from the car, and it was going about 70 to 80 miles per hour,” a family member told me.
Family members ran after the car.
“His father ran two blocks barefoot. They told us we couldn’t move him, but now our baby is battling for his life,” the family member explained.
Police gathered evidence and searched door to door for CCTV footage of the incident.
The full police report said that there were three suspects; however, they were all labeled as unknown with no identifiable information. According to a separate TPD “unusual incident” report, a 16-year-old was involved in the heist and questioned as part of the investigation. Police said that person was freed without being charged.
Simmons has just turned 18, and he is scheduled to graduate from Woodward this year.
Anyone with information about the incident can text or call Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.