Manager of Dearborn beauty supply store killed, $10,000 in merchandise stolen
Steve Pardo / The Detroit News
Dearborn — The thieves who killed a beauty supply storekeeper made off with an estimated $10,000 — retail — in hair weaves. And hair professionals in Metro Detroit suspect the robbers will have no problem unloading the merchandise.
"Weaves — it's like selling crack," said Lashawnda Washington, a cosmetologist and hair instructor at Michigan College of Beauty in Troy. "If I (were) to load my car down with weaves and go salon to salon, by the end of the night I'd have nothing left. It's like selling drugs."
Police released more information Wednesday on the robbery at Sunrise Beauty Supply, 4920 Schaefer, and the slaying of Jay Shin, including a composite sketch of a suspect and an image taken from a surveillance camera.
"It's just so sad," said Mona Hassan, who owns a nearby hair salon. "I knew him. I'd send customers there to get their hair."
Hair is a multibillion-dollar industry. People who want longer or thicker locks will spend from $5 to $500 for a quarter-ounce bundle of hair, depending on the type and quality.
That means the high-end hair, ready for weaves, is about as valuable as platinum, which closed Wednesday at $1,689 an ounce, and more valuable than gold, which closed around $1,400 per ounce. Even lower-end hair can be pricier than silver, ounce for ounce. Silver is trading around $34 an ounce.
The 80-odd packs of assorted colors of "Velvet Remi" hair extensions taken in Tuesday's robbery at Shin's store were selling for $120 to $135 each, police said.
Authorities believe two men and a woman were involved in the robbery and slaying at the store. Police were called about 11:30 a.m. and found Shin inside, shot to death.
Police have said one of the suspects has a tattoo or birthmarks over both eyes and some blotches around his cheek. He is described as a black man, 20-25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build. He wore a green waist-length hooded jacket with "Packers" written across the front, gray sweatpants, tan boots and a baseball cap.
"This appears to be a random and senseless crime that will be subjected to all our investigative resources," said Ronald Haddad, the Dearborn police chief.
Police are looking for a silver four-door vehicle, possibly a Ford Focus. The female suspect is believed to have been the getaway driver.
"If they stole 80 packs, they're going to hustle it on the streets," said Washington, the cosmetology instructor. "It's a huge market."
Customers typically buy hair extensions and then take them to salons to be woven into their hair.
Hair salons and beauty supply stores were understandably edgy Wednesday, calling the incident "senseless" and "tragic."
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110317...es-are-hot-property-for-thieves#ixzz1GsnijZ8Q
Steve Pardo / The Detroit News
Dearborn — The thieves who killed a beauty supply storekeeper made off with an estimated $10,000 — retail — in hair weaves. And hair professionals in Metro Detroit suspect the robbers will have no problem unloading the merchandise.
"Weaves — it's like selling crack," said Lashawnda Washington, a cosmetologist and hair instructor at Michigan College of Beauty in Troy. "If I (were) to load my car down with weaves and go salon to salon, by the end of the night I'd have nothing left. It's like selling drugs."
Police released more information Wednesday on the robbery at Sunrise Beauty Supply, 4920 Schaefer, and the slaying of Jay Shin, including a composite sketch of a suspect and an image taken from a surveillance camera.
"It's just so sad," said Mona Hassan, who owns a nearby hair salon. "I knew him. I'd send customers there to get their hair."
Hair is a multibillion-dollar industry. People who want longer or thicker locks will spend from $5 to $500 for a quarter-ounce bundle of hair, depending on the type and quality.
That means the high-end hair, ready for weaves, is about as valuable as platinum, which closed Wednesday at $1,689 an ounce, and more valuable than gold, which closed around $1,400 per ounce. Even lower-end hair can be pricier than silver, ounce for ounce. Silver is trading around $34 an ounce.
The 80-odd packs of assorted colors of "Velvet Remi" hair extensions taken in Tuesday's robbery at Shin's store were selling for $120 to $135 each, police said.
Authorities believe two men and a woman were involved in the robbery and slaying at the store. Police were called about 11:30 a.m. and found Shin inside, shot to death.
Police have said one of the suspects has a tattoo or birthmarks over both eyes and some blotches around his cheek. He is described as a black man, 20-25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build. He wore a green waist-length hooded jacket with "Packers" written across the front, gray sweatpants, tan boots and a baseball cap.
"This appears to be a random and senseless crime that will be subjected to all our investigative resources," said Ronald Haddad, the Dearborn police chief.
Police are looking for a silver four-door vehicle, possibly a Ford Focus. The female suspect is believed to have been the getaway driver.
"If they stole 80 packs, they're going to hustle it on the streets," said Washington, the cosmetology instructor. "It's a huge market."
Customers typically buy hair extensions and then take them to salons to be woven into their hair.
Hair salons and beauty supply stores were understandably edgy Wednesday, calling the incident "senseless" and "tragic."
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110317...es-are-hot-property-for-thieves#ixzz1GsnijZ8Q