Brazilian Mirna Marchetti, 22, a saleswoman was assaulted inside a bus in Rio de Janeiro after leaving work at night. The assailants stole her purse containing money and documents, took her cell phone and before leaving also cut and took her waist-long straight black hair. Â
Marchetti still cannot believe what happened to her. She hadn't cut her hair for several years and says that she's saddened and mad at what occurred.
"I'm already used to leave home without anything of value just to avoid being robbed," she told reporters. "But to steal my hair, this is absurd. I'm very sad. I hadn't cut my hair for four years."
The young woman had taken the 928 line bus, which goes from Marechal Hermes to Ramos, at the Carioca shopping mall, in the Vicente de Carvalho neighborhood in Rio's north side. She was with a woman friend.
According to Marchetti's story, three men entered the vehicle at the same bus stop as her. They sat behind her and a little later pulled her hair and held her head despite her protests. They then made a pony tail and proceeded to cut her mane with very sharp scissors.Â
Marchetti's friend tried to prevent the men from cutting the hair but they ended up hurting her hand. The guy with the scissors seemed very used to the task since he didn't hesitate and cut the whole hair in just one pass. The thieves then simply left the bus and disappeared.
Mirna was left with a very short hair. It was shaved up to her nape. Her mother in law revealed that her hair was completely natural, moisturized and without any tinting, the kind most sought for wigs and hair appliqués.
According to experts, a hair like that might be worth as much as 500 reais, about US$ 240. The case was registered at Penha neighborhood's 22nd Police Precinct.
Hair theft is not that rare in Rio, but women don't always report the incident to the police. Just in December another woman had her hair cut inside a fast food restaurant in Ilha do Governador. The case was never brought to the police by the victim, however.
