Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1, before switching to the Top 5 storylines -- the good, the bad & the ugly on the horizon in "2022: The Year That Lies Ahead."
Photos for Headline Surfer / Still screenshots above and below show thieves stealing wigs from the Sassy Sista’s Boutique in Altamonte Springs overnight on Dec. 6, 2021. A pic above shows the aftermath of the burglary.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Three thieves were captured on camera stealing thousands of dollars worth of wigs from an Altamonte Springs store back in the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2021, police said.
Altamonte Springs Police responded to Sassy Sista’s Boutique, at the San Sebastian Square Plaza, 851 W. State Road 436, suite 1005, to find the front door smashed and around 34 wigs stolen, according to an incident report of the 3 a.m. Monday, Dec. 6, 2021 burglary which captured the images of the thieves on a store surveillance camera.
Jasmine Jackson, the owner of the boutique, told cops the 34 wigs taken which were taken from display mannequins’ heads, amounted to $13,000.
“For us, “$13,000 is a lot, that’s a pretty big deal," Jackson said. "It hurt us financially, mentally, you know our store is our livelihood. This is how we take care of our families."
Cameras inside the store “captured (three) people, all three appearing to be males, wearing pants, sweatshirts, gloves, and masks” in the 3 a.m. burglary of Sassy Sista's Boutique, according to the police report.
According to police, the thieves made three trips in and out of the business, taking wigs each time. They also took the cash register, which was later found discarded, but there was no cash in it, to begin with.
The overall feeling among the owners so close to the winter holiday shopping season was disheartening, to say the least.
“The time and the work we put into each wig. We spend long days and nights in here getting these wigs ready for these ladies," co-owner Von Jackson said. "So, to have someone come in here and do something like that it’s very heartbreaking and devastating.”
Surveillance footage shows the men piling the wigs into their arms and running out of the store — only to return twice more for more.
The thefts made national news in news outlets such as the NY Post and the syndicated television program Inside Edition. To date, there have been no arrests.
YouTube embedding / Inside edition video / It was a smash-and-grab burglary that netted three thieves a hair-raising amount of money. According to authorities in Altamonte Springs, Florida, three suspects are wanted for stealing 34 wigs from a local shop worth $13,000. Surveillance cameras caught them in the act. Police say they smashed the glass on the front door of the Sassy Sista’s Boutique and helped themselves to the shelves of locks as well as the cash register.
Contact Altamonte Springs Police:
Anyone with information on the wig thefts from the Sassy Sista's Boutique is asked to call the Altamonte Springs Police Department at 407-571-8214. Or call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477), where callers can remain anonymous and receive a cash award leading to the arrests and prosecution of those responsible.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.