MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A young man popular on social media for selling high-end sneakers to wealthy clients has been arrested on robbery charges.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of 21-year-old Benjamin Kapelushnik, also known as Benjamin Kickz.
Miami Beach Police said the incident took place at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach on New Year’s Eve.
According to authorities, a 19-year-old man and some friends got into a verbal disagreement with another group of men, which included Kapelushnik, in the hotel’s lobby. Detectives said Kapelushnik believed the 19-year-old had taken a photo of him without his permission and demanded the man’s phone.
The man denied taking a photo, and the incident moved to the front entrance of the hotel, where, authorities said, Kapelushnik took the man’s phone while his companions beat the man up.
One of the man’s friends was able to retrieve the phone. However, the state attorney’s office said the man received serious injuries that still require hospitalization and surgery.
Kapelushnik has been arrested and charged with strong-arm robbery. He was spotted walking out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade after posting bond.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said on Twitter regarding the arrest, “Internet fame or celebrity grants no one the right to violate the law. The actions that put our victim in the hospital are crimes, plain & simple.”
Police said they are searching for the people who battered the 19-year-old victim.
If you have any information on their whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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