Nancy Nguyen (Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Gwinnett County nail salon employee was arrested after police say she pulled an 8-year-old child back inside a business and locked the door during a dispute over payment for services.
What we know:
Nancy Nguyen, 42, was arrested Sunday and charged with false imprisonment involving a child under 14, according to Gwinnett County Jail records. She was booked into the jail at 4:07 p.m. and released later that night after posting a $4,050 cash bond.
The incident happened Dec. 21 at a nail salon on the 2900 block of Buford Drive. Gwinnett County police said the dispute began over the cost of a service.
Police identified the child as being 8 years old.
What they're saying:
"There was a dispute regarding the price of a service and the victim’s mother actually ended up leaving the salon," police spokeswoman Cpl. Angela Carter said. "As they were walking out, the suspect in this case grabbed the eight-year-old and pulled him back inside and locked the door until the mom agreed to pay for the service."
Investigators said the disagreement escalated from a pricing dispute into a payment issue. Police were contacted and responded to the scene, where they reviewed security footage.
"Police did come, they investigated, they reviewed security footage and determined to make an arrest for false imprisonment," Cpl. Carter said.
When asked about the seriousness of the incident, police called the actions excessive.
"To hold an eight-year-old hostage in a nail salon over a payment is definitely taking things too far," Cpl. Carter said.
Officers said disputes over payment should be handled through legal channels.
"This is absolutely not a way to solve a dispute," Cpl. Carter said. "You can contact the police that there is a civil dispute or an issue with that."
What's next:
Nguyen was charged under Georgia law with false imprisonment of a child younger than 14. The investigation remains closed following her arrest.
What we don't know:
It was not clear how long the child was held inside the locked shop.
The Source: The Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Carter spoke with FOX 5's Christopher King for this article. Additional details come from Gwinnett County Jail records.