Caught on camera: Man using his own register key to steal from Milwaukee barbershop
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A man was caught on camera walking into a Milwaukee barbershop and taking money out of a cash register with his own key.
It happened at Dapper & Co. Barbershop on the intersection of Kane and Farwell Streets around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17. A man is seen walking slowly through the front door so the bells don't ring, then looking around. He puts his own key into the cash register before taking out $150. The barber on the other side of the two-way mirror then says, "Hi, hello?" The bald man says he wasn't doing anything, but instead, you hear him say on security video, "I wanna get a haircut!"
The man eventually leaves, and the police arrive. However, owner Autumn Alaniz is still shaken up: "I think the scarier part is you don't know what the person’s intentions are." She says one of the man's hands was in his pocket for much of the interaction, so she and the barber aren't sure if the man had a weapon on him.
"It makes you feel violated." - Autumn Alaniz
Alaniz says this man has caused trouble for years, trespassing, and staff has been "firm" with him. She thinks the man was waiting for this moment, when a barber stepped away for 40 seconds. She says, "That was all he needed."
Changes have been made to the barbershop's security, and now Alaniz is warning other small businesses in the area to keep an eye out for this man and know their tills could be targeted.
"This is a guy that’s kind of lurking around and looking for the opportunity to take advantage of somebody."
Milwaukee police are still looking for the suspect. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7212 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
Alaniz says she's been in that location since 2017 and likes "everything about the neighborhood." She says she wants to keep it safe for fellow small businesses.
Alaniz is the significant other of a member of the CBS 58 staff.