Caught on camera: Women skip out on pedicures without paying at Briargate nail spa
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Security footage shows two women getting pedicures at a high-end Colorado Springs nail salon - then dashing out the door without paying.
It happened on June 16 at Anthony Vince Nail Spa, located in the Promenade Shops at Briargate.
Salon staff say one of the women claimed she was leaving her laptop bag behind as collateral while she stepped out to grab her wallet. But the bag turned out to be empty, and neither of them ever came back.
Salon manager Luke Truong says the women didn’t appear suspicious at first and were treated like any other customer.
“One lady just suddenly came out first. I mean, it's very normal. One person goes first. So they come out and they said, you know, ‘my friend will help me pay for that,’” Truong said. “But we never saw them again.”
He later discovered there was no laptop in the bag.
“I would never ever touch her bag to see if there was a laptop. And then after like half an hour, when I touch it - oh, it's light. There’s no laptop in there,” Truong said.
He says this is the third time the salon has experienced a walk-out theft this year, and Truong says other nearby businesses have been targeted too - something he calls “very strange” for the upscale Briargate shopping area.
“We try to treat everybody the same way. But we do not expect that kind of outcome,” Truong said.
He adds that the biggest impact isn’t to the business itself, but to his employees.
“I was sad. I mean, it’s not affecting me directly, but it happened to my technician. They work on commission, so if the client does not pay for them, basically they’re just working for free.”
Truong says the salon has filed a police report, and officers are investigating.
“You have a situation, everybody has a situation. We will work it out with you and figure it out with you because we are like human to human,” Truong said. “But just don’t give us a fake excuse and then run like that. It’s just not fair.”
As the investigation continues, Truong hopes sharing his story will raise awareness and help protect other businesses. Police advise business owners to prioritize safety and rely on tools like sign-in sheets, phone numbers, and security cameras to help identify suspects.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
