HOUSTON, Texas — Several Houston hair salon owners said they’re fed up with the burglaries happening inside their shops.
“June 6. July 7. July 12," said LaToya Kent, owner of Studio Mink & Lush XXI. “They’re coming in for hair. They’re searching for hair only."
Kent says her salon has been hit three times in just over a month, And it’s not just happening to her.
“I’ve probably been robbed four times since February," Raquel Oliver, owner of Raquel Denise Hair said.
“I’ve been burglarized three times since May 25th," LaTerryan Randle, owner of LaTerryan’s Hair Boutique, said.
“I was robbed the first time on May 11th," Dominique Harris, owner of Alter Ego Hair Salon & Wig Bar, said.
“It’s a regular thing for me, yeah," Jasmine Harris, owner of Exquisite Hair Junkies, said.
Five different women from five different stores are all dealing with one problem -- burglaries that are happening time and time and time again.
“Six men, they all went in and stole my entire safe," Dominique said.
Sharing their surveillance video with us, these owners believe, the thefts are all related.
“I do think it’s an organized ring operation," Kent said.
“If you look at some of the videos, they have the same car or they have the same crowbars. It’s always multiple people," Dominique said.
Police have been notified of these robberies, but Oliver said they can't guarantee her anything.
The extensions and wigs can cost hundreds of dollars a piece, and it’s setting the owners back thousands.
Harris said thieves took her entire inventory a year ago when her store was robbed at gunpoint.
“They took $500,000 worth of hair," she said. "Everything that was in the store, they stole it all."
Since the theft, her security has been top-notch. She says when thieves break in, they walk away empty-handed.
These owners believe the stolen hair is being resold either through social media or in other parts of the city.
“There’s a very, very high demand for hair," Kent said. "You have to think about it. For our community, it’s almost an addiction."
They're hoping by sharing their stories, they can help others protect their stores and merchandise.
“If more of us will tell each other or post that it’s happening, then we will all be aware that it’s happening. We all can beef up on security, and then we all can put an end to it," Harris said.
It's a sad reality robbing them of more than just money.
“This is our livelihood, this is how we feed our children. It’s already hard to believe in yourself to do something that you don’t come from a background of. You’re truly like the first person of your generation to do something. And then to have it stripped away you got to think about what that does to us," Kent said.
Houston police have confirmed they are investigating these cases and believe some are related. If you have any information on these burglaries, you're asked to them at 713-308-0900.