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A new type of crime is flooding the streets of Venezuela. Women must now walk with caution regardless of the time of the day as thieves lurk behind to steal a very precious asset: a woman's mane. Yes, these hair thieves are hiding behind corners and creeping up quietly in order to cut the hair off of an innocent woman's head. These long strands are then sold to wig shops for a relatively large sum.

"You have to see it to believe," Egmari Villarreal said according to CNN. Villarreal is a resident in the coastal city of Maracaibo where these thieves are becoming more and more common everyday. "We're not going to be able to have long hair anymore. As a woman, this is something traumatic."

Other residents of the areas have also expressed their concerns. One woman, Marianna Rodriguez recalled seeing two scary women walk towards her while she was at a very popular mall. Rodriguez assumed they were going to steal her cellphone, which she had in her hand, but instead, they swiftly chopped her hair off. Another resident commented on witnessing more and more of these attacks.

"It's happening downtown, at the beach or at the mall, where you find a lot of young women. The thieves grab them by the hair, pull out some scissors and cut their hair. Then they sell it at beauty or hair salons," Sarai Madrid said.

The mayor of the city, Eveling de Rosales has announced that the city will increase security to stop these crimes from happening. Now, more men and women will be given patrol positions to keep watch and hopefully prevent future instances from occurring. However, despite an increase in reported thefts, there have been no formal complaints filed.

"I do not know to what degree it is happening," the Zulia state's security secretary, Jairo Ramirez said. "I have not learned of any formal complaints of this type. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it is not very clear."

According to hair stylist, Israel Rodriguez, a wig made from real human hair could cost more than $500, which is a lot of easy money in the eyes of the criminals.