A court form has detailed the financial woes of an unhappy customer who refused to pay for a hairdo at a salon in The Villages.
Carolyn Deborah Harmelin, 72, who lives at the Lake Sumter Apartments on County Road 466, is facing a charge of theft after an incident in March at the Tenaj Salon Institute on County Road 103 in The Villages.
This past week in Sumter County Court, Harmelin entered a plea of not guilty in the case. A court document declaring her financial situation has revealed that she is scraping by on $1,345 per month in Social Security benefits. It is her sole source of income and must cover her service animal, food and medicine, according to the document. Harmelin also indicated she needs to come up with $300 to “get my car back.”
The form is used to determine if an individual qualifies for the services of the public defender’s office. Harmelin has met that threshold.
The former New Yorker went to the salon on March 20 for an afternoon appointment, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. She was in the stylist’s chair for about 30 minutes before she became “argumentative” with the salon’s staff. Harmelin walked to the salon’s front counter where she continued to argue with the salon’s director who told Harmelin she owed $56 for the hairdo.
Harmelin refused to pay and walked to the parking lot where she got into a blue Toyota Avalon and drove away. The salon director was able to snap a photo of the car’s license plate. She contacted law enforcement.
A detective checked the license plate and found that Harmelin’s driver’s license photo matched the image of the woman captured on surveillance at the salon. A warrant was issued for Harmelin’s arrest.
Harmelin previously lived in Ocala and in 2017 was arrested in a domestic violence incident in which she knocked her mother to the ground. Haremlin also has previous arrests for violating court orders, driving under the influence and driving while license suspended.
She remains free on $150 bond in the Tenaj Salon Institute case.
Her case will be up for a status conference on Sept. 16.