By: SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A Birmingham salon owner and two employees are facing serious charges after a dispute over the cost of a client’s braids turned into a physical confrontation—an incident that was captured on video and quickly went viral across social media platforms.
Birmingham police announced Friday that Aissatou Camara, 32, Julia Ondo, 30, and Gwadys Audrey Nzinga Koumba, 45, are each charged with first-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault. Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said all three women will be held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail.
The alleged assault happened Saturday at Mama Gifted Hands, a salon located on Parkway East. The victim, Jessica Odom, detailed her account in a TikTok video that has drawn massive attention, reaching 157,000 likes and more than 42,000 shares as of Friday.
Odom said she arranged her appointment through text messages with the salon. She said she was quoted $200 for the hairstyle she wanted and proceeded with the appointment. According to her video, everything went smoothly until she paid in cash. Odom said the stylists then demanded an additional $50, claiming the cost of the human hair used in her braids required a higher price.
When she refused, Odom said she was prevented from leaving.
“I was told I could not leave. I was threatened, locked in,” she said.
She also said she was pushed back into the salon when she tried to leave.
“They pulled out my real hair while doing this,” Odom said.
Birmingham police responded to the scene. Odom said that even as officers arrived, one stylist attempted to cut hair from her head until police told her repeatedly to stop.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released additional details.