Man jailed for assault at Upper Moreland hair salon

“(The victim) advised me that over the last couple months she had told Williams more than 20 times that he is not allowed at the salon.”

NORRISTOWN >> A man who assaulted a female Upper Moreland hair salon employee was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation as part of his sentence for the crime.

Lamar N. Williams, 39, of the 6700 block of North Bouvier Street, Philadelphia, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11½-to-23-months in the county jail, to be followed by four years’ probation, on charges of criminal trespass, simple assault, strangulation, public drunkenness, harassment and burglary in connection with a November 2018 incident at the Glam FX Salon in Upper Moreland.

The sentence, imposed by Judge Risa Vetri Ferman, means Williams will be under court supervision for about six years.

Ferman convicted Williams of the charges during a non-jury trial earlier this year.

As a condition of the sentence, Ferman said Williams will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and will be placed under mental health and addiction supervision. The judge said Williams must be paroled directly to an inpatient mental health treatment program and remain there until discharged.

Williams was ordered to have no contact with the victim.

The investigation began about 7:15 p.m. when Upper Moreland police responded to the salon, located in the 400 block of Moreland Road in the Willow Grove section of the township, for a male subject refusing to leave the business, according to a criminal complaint.

Arriving officers observed Williams walking away from the business and police alleged they detected an odor of PCP emanating from his person, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Upper Moreland Police Officer Vincent John Small.

“Williams had a blank stare…,” Small alleged, adding Williams had a difficult time answering questions but denied coming from the salon.

The salon employee “was visibly scared and upset” and was crying, claiming Williams was stalking her.

The victim told police Williams appeared at the shop earlier in the day and she told him to leave.

“(The victim) advised me that over the last couple months she had told Williams more than 20 times that he is not allowed at the salon,” Small alleged. “(The victim) stated that she never had any relationship with Williams and that they only knew each other from the neighborhood.”

The victim told police Williams showed up at the shop again later that day, banging on the windows multiple times. As the victim opened the door, Williams pushed his way inside the salon, grabbed the woman by the neck with both hands and shoved her against a wall, according to the criminal complaint.

Williams allegedly tried to pull off the woman’s jacket and shirt. The woman eventually was able to break free from Williams and call police. The woman, who complained of neck pain, did not seek medical attention at that time, police said.

- Upper Moreland Police Officer Vincent John Small