Teens Arrested For Cutting Hole in Mall Roof to Steal Air Jordans

Aug. 25, 2012— -- Two teenagers were arrested this week after cutting into the roof of a mall in Houston to steal Nike Air Jordan sneakers.

A security guard at Greenspoint mall, on the north side of Houston, saw the thieves in the Foot Action store early Wednesday morning and called police. John Grant, 19, and another male, 16, were arrested at the scene, but a third suspect believed to be around the same age fled.

"We believe we know the identity of the third male who fled on foot and is still wanted," Cannon said.

Grant has a court date of Aug. 29 at a state district court and is currently in custody with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Police and the prosecutor's office will not release any details about the 16-year-old because he is a minor.

Grant, who does not have an attorney according to court records, could not be reached for comment.

John Cannon, Houston Police spokesman, said officers responded to a burglary call at 4:45 A.M. on Wednesday and found the suspects stole 16 pairs of Nike Air Jordan sneakers valued at $175 each.

Limited editions of specific Nike sneakers, such as the soon-to-be-released LeBron X Nike Plus basketball sneaker, are often bought and re-sold for costs as high as $1,000.

Violence and long lines have plagued stores like Foot Locker as fans wait hours for a limited number of sneakers.

In anticipation of such problems, earlier this week Nike reportedly issued general safety guidelines to retailers about the release of the popular sneakers, moving the release time from midnight to 8 a.m.

Cannon said the three used unknown instruments to cut into the roof of the store.

Greenspoint Mall and Foot Locker, which owns Foot Action, did not return requests for comment.

As part of their standard procedure, the police are checking if the individuals may have been responsible for other burglaries in the Houston area.

Police charged the minor with burglary of a building, a felony, and evading police on foot, which is a misdemeanor.

Gant was charged with burglary of a building, which is also a felony, the Houston Police said.