Videos appear to show customer attack Hamilton beauty salon worker
Bobby Hristova | CBC News | Posted: March 24, 2023 10:06 PM | Last Updated: March 24, 2023
Business owner and esthetician disappointed there's been no charge or arrest by Hamilton police
A woman walks around a counter at a beauty bar and lunges at an employee before squeezing her and wrestling with her for minutes.
Ashlyn Mendoza said the scene, caught on a security camera at Elva Beauty Bar in Hamilton, has left her traumatized.
"I can't sleep at night. I'm still thinking about what happened that day and thinking about our safety ... I have three kids," the esthetician told CBC Hamilton on Friday.
The apparent attack happened on Wednesday at roughly 4:18 p.m. ET at the business on Concession Street.
Mendoza was alone when a customer came in for eyelash extensions and eyebrow lamination. The service costs about $265.
Mendoza said the woman chose what kind of lashes she wanted and Mendoza applied them, but the customer didn't like them.
The woman reportedly didn't want the lashes fixed or removed and started throwing items in the store, according to Mendoza.
That's when, the esthetician said, she called Elva Loncaric, the store's owner.
"I heard things crashing because she threw stuff off the counters," Loncaric said.
Mendoza said she also started recording a video on her phone for her own safety.
Not long after, video appears to show, the woman noticed the phone recording, walked around the counter and lunged at Mendoza.
WATCH | The moments before a customer appears to attack an esthetician in Hamilton:
The woman appears to put an arm around the back of Mendoza's neck and use the other arm to reach for Mendoza's phone. Both women struggle for the phone before the woman pushes Mendoza into the corner.
"I called 911 ... and as I'm driving here. I watched her attack [Mendoza]," Loncaric said. "I was so worried.
"When I was seeing it, I was yelling at the 911 operator."
Video obtained by CBC Hamilton seemingly shows the interaction lasted over two minutes and only seemed to stop when another client walked in for an appointment.
Loncaric said the client locked the door and also called police.
She also said she believes the original customer acted up to try to avoid paying for the service.
CBC Hamilton tried phoning the woman who seemingly attacked Mendoza, but the phone number was no longer in service.
Worker says police should've laid charges
Loncaric said she and police showed up around the same time as her.
Mendoza was crying and shaken. She said she has a sore neck, a cut on her face and some scrapes on her hands.
Loncaric said police "didn't do anything" and seemed to discourage Mendoza from pursuing charges.
"That lady should've been arrested on the spot," Loncaric said.
Mendoza said she also felt police "could've done better."
Hamilton police said the investigation is ongoing and confirmed no charges have been laid at this time.
"Further information can be made available once the investigation is complete," read an email from police.
Loncaric and Mendoza said they want the police to take swift action, but also want to raise awareness about the abuse estheticians sometimes face — especially as many estheticians work from home and are racialized.
"If it's not hitting someone, what makes you get arrested?" Loncaric said.