Victim hides in bathroom

Union City police are investigating a Saturday afternoon robbery attempt at an East Lee Street hair salon.
Police were summoned at 1:55 p.m. to Split Ends at 109 East Lee St., where a victim was reported to be barricaded inside the bathroom and unsure if the suspect was still there.
According to a Union City Police Department report, a police officer arrived at the salon within seconds of receiving the call and was covering the front door when he heard someone screaming inside. He reported he made entry and heard the victim — salon co-owner Alta R. Goodman, 32, of Union City — crying in the bathroom.
Police said a visibly shaken Ms. Goodman was holding her broken eyeglasses and had blood coming from her mouth and lip area, resulting in emergency medical personnel being summoned.
Ms. Goodman told police a black man entered the business and asked about a haircut. He inquired about the price and then allegedly made a move toward her, demanding she give him all the money. She was scared and made a run for the back of the business, where she made it to the bathroom and locked herself inside, according to the report.
She told police that when she ran to the bathroom, she could hear the intruder coming after her and, once she had the door closed, she could hear him outside the door “like he was trying to get in.”
Ms. Goodman told police she fell as she made it to the bathroom and hit her face, breaking her glasses and cutting her lip and mouth area.
She got her cell phone out of her pocket and started making calls, according to the report. Ms. Goodman told police she yelled that she had a phone and was calling police, at which point she heard the intruder run out of the business.
Police thoroughly searched the area, but the intruder was not located.
The intruder is described as a clean-cut black man with a medium complexion and a pencil-type mustache above his lip. He was wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes, police reported.
Anyone who has information about the robbery attempt may contact Union City police at 885-1515 or Crime Stoppers at 885-TIPS (885-8477). Callers to Crime Stoppers are guaranteed anonymity and could earn rewards for tips which solve cases.

Published in The Messenger 10.11.10

Print