Police Searching For Brazen Beauty Bandits In Philadelphia
By Natasha Brown
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Brazen bandits in a place of beauty.
Police are searching for the armed suspects who hit a busy nail salon, filled with women and even a child.
It was a terrifying few moments for the people inside a Tacony nail salon, and later for workers at a beauty supply store in Hunting Park.
Mayfair Nails in the 4200 block of Cottman Avenue is open for business, but owners are still too leery to talk about a brazen robbery that took place inside their salon.
The video speaks for them as the crime was captured on surveillance cameras. You can see three suspects enter the business filled with customers at the time. They're carrying handguns, snatching cell phones, purses and money from frightened customers.
A mother and her child were even blocked from trying to escape.
"It doesn't appear they're doing this in any way to be discreet or anything about it. They're going in very brazen, armed with handguns, looking to get what they can," says Lt. John Stanford of Philadelphia Police.
"My wife and kids were nervous in coming here," says Mike Kozak of Northeast Philadelphia.
Kozak sits on guard inside his car waiting for his family, something he's never had to do in the 10 years his wife has been coming here.
"It's horrible. They're hard working people here, they've been here forever," says Kozak.
"It was scary, but I guess it can happen anywhere," a salon customer said.
The crime spree isn't over for these suspects as police believe the same men are responsible for this beauty supply store robbery three days later in the 4300 block of North Broad Street.
The hooded suspects enter with handguns then empty the cash register of more than $300.
"You never know if you walk into a store what might happen if you are in the middle of a robbery, so it's a little disturbing. But you just have to be careful and be watchful and mindful of where you are going and who's in the store," says Yvonne Taylor of West Philadelphia.
Police are also concerned about the timing of these robberies. The robbery at the Wild and Crazy Beauty Supply store in Hunting Park happened at 3 p.m. Monday along a bustling Broad Street.
