MILWAUKEE – A brazen beauty store robbery in Milwaukee was all caught on camera – surveillance video shows three suspects attacking and macing beauty store employees April 18.
It started with one female crouching behind the Value Beauty counter, taking items off the wall. Another appeared to be the lookout. She was seen in the video pulling something out of her pocket as an employee carrying a box began to approach.
The woman aimed and sprayed a cloud of what investigators said was mace directly into the employee’s face to buy more time. Back behind the counter, another person climbed over, knocking down mannequin heads on her way up. The hair snatching got more intense before the trio ran for the exit.
“When the girls are coming, I try to stop them right here,” said Jesus Gonzalez, employee
Gonzalez tried to step in.
“That’s when she attacked me. She sprayed the pepper spray in my face. She scratched my face too,” said Gonzalez.
One by one, Gonzalez tried to stop the three suspects, scuffling with the last one on her way out.
“My face burned like, very bad, like, so bad,” said Gonzalez.
Store officials said the women made off with $1,000 worth of hair weaves. Gonzalez said the heist was fast.
“We couldn’t do anything when she sprayed my face,” said Gonzalez.
Investigators were only able to identify one of the brazen thieves. Prosecutors said Shaherah Edwards admitted to having mace and throwing the can at Gonzalez, who was still shaken by the encounter when WITI spoke with him Wednesday, May 29, more than a month later.
“Nervous sometimes. Something like this would never happen before,” said Gonzalez.
The store was shut down briefly after the incident.
Edwards was expected to appear in court on June 6 for a preliminary hearing and is out on a $3,000 signature bond.
Police are working to identify the other women involved.