Caught on video: Woman attacks store owners after card declined
Testing widget old system
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The owners of a local beauty supply store are recovering from injuries after a shopper went on a violent rampage. Now they are hoping someone can help identify the suspect.
Surveillance cameras captured video of a woman attacking the owners of Chic Plus Beauty Supply store in Cleveland at about 5 p.m. Friday. The owners’ son, David Jo, said he did not learn of the attack until Monday morning, when his brother sent him a video clip.
“Watching your parents get thrust around and dragged around the store they worked so hard for… I couldn’t finish watching the video obviously,” Jo said.
Cleveland police said the woman was trying to buy something using a pre-paid debit card that was declined.
“May I please have my items please, I will leave and get out of your hair. You will never see me in your store again,” the unidentified woman is heard saying in cellphone video recorded by one of the owners.
“All I’m trying to do is get my items, that’s it. I’m not being belligerent,” she said.
The owner replied, “We cannot give you anything because it’s not cleared.”
“My father explained it to her very clearly that the reason you’re not able to walk out with the product is… There’s no money in your account. The card was denied, therefore, obviously, you can’t take the product out of the store and that seemed to set her off,” Jo said.
The surveillance video shows the woman knock down the man, leap behind the counter and attack both owners. It shows the suspect dragging Jo’s mother by her hair from behind the counter while destroying displays in the store. Some of their injuries were too graphic to show.
“I just saw my mom today since it happened and she’s all bruised up, her hair’s been pulled out, she has bruises all over her body … My dad’s mouth was all bloodied up,” Jo said.
Jo said his family has operated the store for about five years, and although they’ve dealt with irate customers before, it’s never been anything like this.
“I don’t think anybody expects their parents to get brutally beaten like that and them having to watch a video and not being able to do anything about it … It’s pretty tough; I felt very helpless,” he said.
The owners are originally from South Korea but have lived in the Cleveland area for the past 25 years.
Cleveland police said right now, the attacker would face felonious assault and vandalism charges, but they are also investigating whether this could be a hate crime.
