Hold on to your hair: Scissors-wielding thieves attack women in Venezuela

(CNN) -- In the Venezuelan coastal city of Maracaibo, they're known as piranhas. But these aren't the flesh-eating fish found in some South American rivers.

They're fast and ferocious thieves who residents say are increasingly attacking women.

The common denominator among the victims? All of them had long hair -- until thieves came at them with scissors, snipping it off.

Women profiled at Portsmouth beauty supply store

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Beauty supply stores are big business, but the last time Candice Colley and Tonya Williams decided to get some hair for a new style in Portsmouth things went downhill fast.

It all started as they were looking around the store and Tonya’s daughter picked up a bottle of cream. When they left to price check at other stores they asked the clerk to hold on to a bundle of hair until they returned, leaving the cream behind as well.  When they got back, they say they were accused of committing a crime.

“As soon as we went to open the door, the owner and the lady that helped us was like, ‘come in, come in, right on time,’” Williams said. “So we were looking at each other like, wait a minute what’s going on? After she showed us in, she locked the door and was like, ‘alright you stole, y’all stole.’”

“That was embarrassing,” Colley said. “It was discrimination. It was just too much. You basically caged me in somewhere so I can’t get out and you have no proof I took anything.”

After viewing surveillance video that proved they never did anything wrong and finding the merchandise in question, they say the store employee apologized. But does that cover the humiliation they say they endured?

Houston couple Deadra Pattum and John Marsden would say “no.” They submitted to a strip search in a beauty supply store after being accused of stealing a pair of $3 earrings. They say they were threatened and forced to remain in the store, too.

“The worst thing is to be accused of something you did not do,” Williams said. “That’s the worst feeling in the world. It’s embarrassing. Everyone’s standing there looking like what’s going on in there.”

WAVY.com spoke to the owner of the Portsmouth store off camera and he disputed whether the door was ever locked. He also said the word “stealing” was never used, he said his employee just inquired where their merchandise had been placed.

Tonya and Candice say police told them nothing criminal actually happened, but that doesn’t mean you have no recourse if you feel you’ve been profiled. Portsmouth Police told WAVY.com if you believe you have been wrongfully stopped for theft, ask for police to be called and know that you don’t have to stay put. If you feel your integrity’s been challenged by a public accusation, you may want to consider a civil suit.

The Better Business Bureau told WAVY.com you could also contact the Council of Human Rights in Richmond and make a Public Accommodation Complaint.

As for stores, each one has a different policy, but many will instruct employees to ask for merchandise, but if a

customer is resistant to let them go.

Women snatched and grabbed over $15,000 worth of hair from the racks in his store in Houston, Texas

 

 

You’ve got so many celebrities wearing this type of hair now, and so many women want that look” said store owner  Kehlin “Mr. Indian Hair” Farooq. Four women snatched and grabbed over $15,000 worth of hair from the racks in his store in Houston, Texas. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras (see video on this page) and four suspects have now been apprehended.

The average value for a bundle of hair is about $150 to 200 dollars.” Kehlin ‘Mr. Indian Hair’ Farooq, Entrepreneur

We know the economy is tight and people gotta eat — but dayyum. There are certainly better ways to get involved in the business of black hair.

 This is one of the reasons why organizers are planning the first ever International Black Hair Summit: The Business of Black Hair. The event is scheduled for October 22-25, 2014 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

What say you?

 A thought from BOBSA By Sam Ennon

This is the reason we should organizers the black hair distributors in the United States. We do not condone what  these ladies did it would've been nice if they would approach the merchant and ask to sell here for him. These ladies deftly know where to go to sell the hair. It would be great if some way we could recruit them. Once they do their time, they know how to use social media in selling the hair.

 There is a lot of entrepreneurs men and women and our black community. Like these ladies that would be excellent sales reps, for the new and upcoming black hair distributors.

 

Keep in mind that Koreans control the distribution of hair in our black community through their brick-and-mortar stores.

something to think about.