JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville Beach business owner says someone ran up huge bill in spa services Friday, then squeezed out, scamming the shop out of hundreds of dollars.
David Manaute, the owner of Picasso Day Spa and Salon on Second Street North, is now offering words of warning to other shopkeepers.
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Manaute said the woman wanted nothing but the best. In fact, the package she bought was called "Our Best," and her grand total was $592.31. It included a manicure, pedicure, facial and more. The only problem, according to spa employees, was she didn't want to pay for it.
"The most expensive, and any time we offered an upgrade to a service, she would accept," Manaute said. "She wanted that and then some."
The woman seen on surveillance video spent all day Friday with the workers there and wasn't shy, they said.
"The entire time she was with me, we talked about how she was a member of First Baptist (Church), her husband was on the police force downtown, they had three children, she's 37 and he's 33, and she's doing this for her birthday," hair stylist Eryn Perry said.
Everything seemed to be going perfectly until the woman went to the register and they gave her the bill. She said she had to get something out of her car and she was going to leave her purse for collateral. She didn't come back. And when the employees looked in the purse, they saw it was empty.
"Had me convinced, and she didn't act nervous to me, she acted like a professional," Perry said.
The self-indulgent swindler is still out there, and workers at the salon hope somebody turns her in before she does it again.
"If she's done it once, if she gets away with it, she'll definitely try it again," Manaute said.
Police haven't been able to track down the woman and they said the case is suspended at the moment because they don't have any leads. If you have any information on the woman's identity or whereabouts, call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.