An 18-year-old Maryland hairstylist named Jayla Cunningham is facing assault charges after she allegedly dragged a teenage client by the hair across a salon. Reportedly, Cunningham thought the 15-year-old was attempting to run out of the establishment without paying the $150 bill.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The whole incident was recorded and then published on social media by Cunningham herself, as per FOX 5. The viral clip, which has prompted people to send death threats to Cunningham, shows Cunningham dragging the 15-year-old by her hoodie across the salon. The hairstylist would then use a pair of scissors to cut the teen's weave she had previously installed.
"Sit right here until somebody sends it," Cunningham is heard saying in the video. "I'm not f------ playing. You just tried to f------ run. You lucky I ain't beat the s--- out you."
Jayla Cunningham would then state to FOX 5 that, if she had not acted the way she did, the teenager would have just run off the store without paying the $150 bill which included the fees for the weave installation.
"Forget trash, she ran without paying me," Cunningham told the outlet. "I dragged her by her hood back into the salon until I could get paid or, you know, until the police come or until, you know, she let me take out the service, because it's like she literally ran outside, like she was about to be gone."
Teen's Mother Reports Hairstylist
The teenager's mother filed a police report against the hairstylist. The mother claims that while grabbing her daughter's hoodie, Cunningham also grabbed her by her hair. Moreover, she clarified that her daughter accidentally sent the bill amount to a different CashApp account. At the time, the teen was trying to figure out how to pay Cunningham, her mother says.
Attorney De'Aja Thompson, whom the family hired, called the video "horrendous." "It's a 15-year-old girl. We're talking about someone's child here," Thompson told FOX 5. "A child who is being dragged across a salon floor by her jacket over something as simple as a mistake."
Thompson also shared a statement with PEOPLE, calling the incident avoidable. Furthermore, she adds that this case shows what happens when citizens act on their own, enforcing the law "into their own hands."
"As a result, in this case, a young girl suffered physical and psychological injuries for what ultimately turned out to be a mistake, and another young lady is now facing criminal charges that could have larger implications," the statement reads.
Jayla Cunningham was charged with second-degree assault. She will appear in court on April 18 for a preliminary inquiry.
