KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A small businessman hopes someone can identify women captured on surveillance cameras robbing his beauty supply store.
The owner says it’s not the first time he’s been targeted by criminals. It happened in October, at 39th and Central. Kansas City police also are asking for help in this case.
Mamadou Aliou Balde says two women picked up hair and hair products while shopping in his store and then ran for the door. One woman got away, but Balde says he managed to grab the second woman in his doorway and pulled his merchandise out of her hands. He says that’s when a black man in a green Mazda 626 pulled up, pointed a handgun in his face and demanded that he release the woman. All three suspects got away.
“I’ve got good pictures of all of them,” Balde said. “All of them. It’s not just here, all the stores, because I went around and asked the stores, they say it happens to them every day. Every day. Sometimes you sit here all day, and you don’t even make $20. These people come to the stores; steal more than $400, $500 when they come to the store. They come like they own the store. They just steal and go.”
Balde says two weeks after this incident two other women came into his store and stole from him again. Again, security cameras captured images of the suspects, but police have not made any arrests. He’s hoping someone can help them identify these thieves.
A few years ago Balde says a crook fired shots inside his store, but was never identified. If you can help police identify any of the women shown in surveillance photos, call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
