Blog: Wigs and hair pieces

Shop clerk hit during fight over wig: According to newspaper reports, in Virginia Beach, Virginia a clerk at a beauty supply store was assaulted during a fight over a wig last Tuesday. Steve Lee, owner of Ace Beauty and Wigs said he was in the back when a man, woman, and child came through the door. Lee said his wife, who had a video camera, noticed the woman about to steal some wigs, so she did everything she could to stop it from happening, while also getting it on camera whilst trying to get her items back. As she tried to grab the wigs back, the suspect became violent and started to fight Lee’s wife in front of the suspect’s young child, suffering a bruised and bloody face. Police said the
suspects were able to get away with the merchandise, but Lee said they left their dignity. “As parents, we have to teach our children morally which way we live by,” said Lee. Lee now hopes the fight caught on tape will help find who committed the crime. He said it’s not about the loss of money, but the lesson they need to be taught. “One thing I can’t tolerate was tha.t they were doing it with a child. It’s not acceptable,” said Lee.

Nationwide rise in theft of expensive human hair: There’s been a nationwide rise in theft of expensive human hair, the kind used for wigs and hair extensions, from salons and wholesale retailers across the United States. In the past two months alone, over tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of hair has been stolen in various robberies. In addition to the $150,000 (£93,000) Houston robbery this month, thieves have recently taken $10,000 in hair from a San Diego shop; $85,000 (£52,700) from a business in Missouri City, Tex.;
$10,000 from a shop in Dearborn, Michigan and $60,000 from a business in San Leandro, California. All the values were provided by the storeowners.  Law enforcement officials have been perplexed by the sudden increase in the thefts of hair and the violence that has accompanied some. Some agencies say they had been unaware of the trend before,
and others are still learning about it.  “That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Denise Ballew, a spokeswoman for the F.B.I., who oversees data related to property crimes. One ndication of how quickly the focus of some thieves has shifted to high end hair is the experience of the Beauty One hair supply store in Chicago: two years ago, thieves went after the store’s cash, but last month, they bypassed the register altogether and took just the hair, which was valued at $90,000. Detective Vito Ferro of the Chicago Police Department, who is investigating the April 24 robbery, said some recent hair thefts in the city appeared to be the work of people sophisticated enough to have taken custom orders. This is a story that e are following and will report any further information as we get it. Most of the robberies we hear about, those involved have been caught, but this type of crime is still on the increase.