VIDEO: Police arrest woman who allegedly robbed wig store at gunpoint

Published: Jan. 14, 2022 at 3:28 PM CST|Updated: Jan. 14, 2022 at 4:01 PM CST
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB/Gray News) - A woman accused of robbing a Louisiana beauty supply store at gunpoint has been taken into custody, according to local authorities.

The incident last month was caught entirely on surveillance video obtained by WAFB.

Court documents state Janiya Wattley was wig shopping at a store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and, instead of paying, she snatched a wig from the wall and stuffed it into a backpack.

When confronted by store employees, police said she can be seen in the video reaching into her bag and pulling out a gun, which she then fires into the ceiling. The store owner quickly runs off between the aisles to the back of the store.

Pulling out a concealed gun of his own, the owner fires a warning shot hoping to scare Wattley off. He succeeds, and she escapes the store with the stolen wigs.

Officers with the Baton Rouge Police Department located Wattley this week and marched her to a jail cell on Thursday.

“Even though an arrest has been made, this investigation remains ongoing,” said Sgt. Don Coppola Jr. with BRPD. “So, it’s something investigators will look into and try to get more information on those actions.”

Police noted a Crime Stoppers tip helped them find Wattley.

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