A customer who stormed out of salon in The Villages has ended up paying a steep price for her haircut.
Carolyn Deborah Harmelin, 72, who lives at the Lake Sumter Apartments on County Road 466, entered a plea of no contest to a charge of theft Tuesday in Sumter County Court. She is facing about $350 in fines and court costs and has been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $56 to Tenaj Salon Institute on County Road 103 in The Villages.
The former New Yorker went to the salon on March 20 for an afternoon appointment, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. She was in the stylist’s chair for about 30 minutes before she became “argumentative” with the salon’s staff. Harmelin walked to the salon’s front counter where she continued to argue with the salon’s director who told Harmelin she owed $56 for the hairdo.
Harmelin refused to pay and walked to the parking lot where she got into a blue Toyota Avalon and drove away. The salon director was able to snap a photo of the car’s license plate. She contacted law enforcement.
A detective checked the license plate and found that Harmelin’s driver’s license photo matched the image of the woman captured on surveillance at the salon. A warrant was issued for Harmelin’s arrest…