City’s latest hair weave theft takes deadly turn
Store manager in Whitehaven slain
The yellow police tape was on the ground near the front of Bundles of Hair, whose sign outside advertises that it sells “100 percent virgin human hair.”
Wednesday afternoon, the shop’s manager was shot and killed by thieves wearing ski masks, who robbed the business and fled with a box of hair.
On Bundles of Hair’s Instagram page, the business left a note Thursday saying, “Thanks for your concern. Willie, the manager of Bundles of Hair (Whitehaven) is no longer with us. Lord, please
comfort us during these trying times.”
Police have not identified the male employee shot and killed in the hair shop, which is part of an office suite at 5090 Millbranch Road in Whitehaven.
According to police, two men dressed in black and wearing ski masks entered the shop around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Shots were exchanged between the suspects and someone in the store. When police arrived, the male employee was dead on the scene.
One of the suspects may have been injured. Police said one of the suspects may have also left a shoe behind while fleeing. The suspects were last seen leaving the scene in a small blue car.
No arrests had been made Thursday as detectives continue to investigate the deadly robbery.
Thieves targeting businesses and individuals who sell hair weave is a crime that is not new to the city and police.
I n October 2014, t h ieves smashed through the concrete wall of Beauty & Beyond in Frayser and took $14,000 worth of human hair.
“They robbed us twice. It took them less than one minute to get in and take 30 pieces of hair and then get out,” said Beauty & Beyond store manager Raad Alyounis. “They steal from us and then sell it cheaper out on the streets.”
Human hair is a lucrative business. The price varies according to the length and type, but hair like the Brazilian can start at $149 and up. The remy, virgin hair can sell for $100 a pack, Alyounis said.
Remy hair has intact cuticles and looks more like real hair. Virgin hair has not been processed by dyes or harsh chemicals. On the street, you can buy the same thing for around $40 to $50. The hair weave and extensions are also being sold online at sites that include Amazon, eBay and Craigslist. Because hair is almost untraceable — there are no serial numbers or other identifying information — it is particularly attractive to thieves.
“No one has been arrested for stealing from our store,” Alyounis said. “We have more security now, but we still don’t feel safe.”
The Memphis police public information office did not return emails Thursday asking about the number of hair thefts in the city and whether any of the thefts are connected to other recent homicides in the city.