'She ran out there and never came back': 2nd nail salon recognizes walkout
Second salon recognizes woman behind $400 nail walkout
Staff at LA Nails in Riverdale believe the same customer wanted by Atlanta police for skipping out on a nearly $400 bill at Glo Nail Salon in Midtown also walked out on a $200 tab at their Highway 85 salon.
RIVERDALE, Ga. - A Riverdale nail salon owner and technician believe the same woman wanted for skipping out on a nearly $400 bill in Midtown Atlanta walked out on a $200 tab at their business in October.
Riverdale salon recognizes suspect
What we know:
Workers at LA Nails on Highway 85 in Riverdale said they experienced déjà vu after seeing a news report about a woman who ran up a nearly $400 tab and walked out of Glow Lash and Nail Salon in Midtown Atlanta. Nail technician Nhi Ho showed pictures to FOX 5 and said she believes the same woman skipped out on a $200 tab at her mother's salon in October.
According to Ho, one of her coworkers did the woman's nail design and toes, bringing the total to $200. When it was time to pay, the woman tapped her phone, and her card declined.
Woman shared emotional story
The backstory:
Before walking out without paying, the woman gave the LA Nails staff a sob story about her living situation. Ho said she asked the woman where she stayed, and the woman claimed she was living in her car and trying to make ends meet.
"I know it’s hard times out here, and she was like, ‘Yeah, she’s doing her best to like make in meat and stuff,’" Ho said.
"When it came time to pay, she was like she tapped her phone and her card got declined," Ho said. "As soon as it declined, she was like, hey, I’m gonna be right back. I left my wallet in the car. Let me run out there and get it. She ran out there and never came back."
Impact on local business
What they're saying:
Ho hopes someone recognizes the woman, who is currently wanted by Atlanta police for theft of services. She explained that losing the $200 payment directly hurts the workers' livelihoods during a slow business period.
"The salon is already slow and for her to do that, that’s just taking food and rent and everything else from them because that $200 tab… They don’t get paid that day," Ho said.
Police search for suspect
What we don't know:
Staff members at LA Nails do not know the woman's name or identity, which prevented Ho from reporting the theft when it happened. Ho said she regrets not calling the Riverdale Police Department, noting the only detail the woman shared was that she was from Oklahoma.
"I couldn’t call the police because… There’s no name. I didn’t have her name. I didn’t know who she was. I just knew that she told me she was from Oklahoma," Ho said.
Reporting the Riverdale theft
What's next:
LA Nails staff members said they will contact Riverdale police to formally report the theft as soon as someone identifies the woman.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Proctor, who interviewed nail technician Nhi Ho at LA Nails on Highway 85 in Riverdale, as well as details from a previous FOX 5 report on Glow Lash and Nail Salon in Midtown Atlanta.