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Criminal Records - Most Wanted |
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Profile |
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Name: Jamel Stevens
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Race: Black |
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Age Now: 31 |
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Height: 5'3" |
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Weight: 200 lbs. |
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Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Black
Wears his hair in braids |
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Eyes (Color and Correction): Brown |
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Wanted for :
Wanted In Connection With 40 Armed Robberies, Brooklyn, NY;
2004
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Location(s) |
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Last Seen : Brooklyn, NY
Stevens was last seen attempting to rob the Andre Hair Braiding store in Brooklyn. |
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Possible Location : Houston, TX
Jacksonville, NC |
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Last Known : Unkown |
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Traits |
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Case Story |
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The "Braidy" Bunch |
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In New York City, many people make their livings braiding hair. There are dozens of hair braiding shops throughout the city, full of hard workers braiding the day away for money.
Cops say Jamel Stevens also makes his living off of braiding shops-- but not by working hard to give customers the look they want. Cops say Stevens has made hundreds of dollars stealing from braiding boutiques. In fact -- according to police, Stevens single-handedly robbed more than 30 hair braiding stores in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx between March and April 2005.
But cops say Stevens hasn't always worked alone. Originally, he worked with two of his buddies, Elon Molina and Julio Sanchez -- who were eventually arrested. According to cops, the three men hit up hair braiding shops and clothing stores -- but Stevens preferred braiding boutiques, and eventually split from the rest of the bunch to pursue his robbing career. |
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Cops: Stevens Is A One-Man Wrecking Crew |
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According to cops, Stevens' long robbing resume has given him ample experience in spotting easy targets. Cops say Stevens picks hair braiding shops run by women because he figures they won't put up a fight. Cops say Stevens' scheme has become a routine for him.
According to police, Stevens approaches braiding boutiques and begins to talk prices with the people in the shop. The whole time, cops say Stevens is actually sizing up the store, planning the robbery. Stevens leaves, only to come back a few minutes later -- this time wielding a gun. Cops say he robs the customers and employees, and even takes the customers' cell phones to ensure they don't call police. Stevens usually makes out with jewelry, cell phones, and at least a few hundred dollars in cash -- a lot of money for a hair braiding shop to lose, according to police.
Cops say Stevens' robberies were going exactly as planned, and he was getting cocky -- until one shop owner fought back. |
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Stevens Finds Himself In Hot Water |
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On April 23. 2005, Stevens decided to hit a place in Brooklyn called Andre Hair Braiding. But cops say the braid-store bandit underestimated the shop's owner -- a bold woman who wasn't about to let a thief like Stevens steal her hard-earned money.
When Stevens came calling, the owner was prepared. The stylists use boiling water in the hair braiding process -- and cops say when Stevens tried to rob her, she poured a huge pot of scalding water all over him. The owner's sister grabbed a nearby stool and hit him repeatedly with it. Cops say Stevens dropped his gun during the botched robbery, and they were able to recover it from the store.
Cops say Stevens was horrified by the incident, and immediately ran down the block to a hospital. They doctor who saw him says Stevens thought he'd been doused with acid -- and when he found out it was only boiling water, he fled from the emergency room. Stevens hasn't been seen since.
Authorities credit the owner of Andre Hair Braiding for foiling Stevens' robbing spree for the time being, but they believe it's only a matter of time before Stevens strikes again. |
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