THE BRONX — Police arrested an ex-con who clipped a Longwood barbershop's cash register Friday after getting his hair cut, according to the NYPD.
Ramel Pierson, 24, who got out of Auburn Correctional Facility eight weeks ago, was arrested Monday, three days after being caught on security video with two friends robbing Alante Alante Barber Shop and Beauty Salon at 953 Westchester Ave. near Kelly Street at 9:45 p.m., police said.
Officers caught Pierson driving a stolen car in Brooklyn Monday afternoon, authorities said.
On Friday, after getting a trim, Pierson paid and then pulled out a gun, robbing the other patrons in the shop of $400 and three cell phones, police and cuttery owner Cesar Feliz said.
When the barber couldn't open the register holding about $600, a helpful patron suggested the crew just take the whole thing, which they did before fleeing, the owner and police said.
One of the other suspects was wearing a gray and black Raiders beanie while the other had a red hoodie with some writing on the chest, according to police.
No injuries were reported in the Friday robbery.
Pierson has been arrested five times on robbery and burglary charges, a police spokesman said. He has been arrested another 12 times, but those records are sealed, the spokesman said.
Pierson was convicted of a Queens robbery and a Brooklyn burglary in July 2010 and served just more than three years behind bars until his release in September 2013, prison records show.
But he was free for about two months before he was brought back to prison for a parole violation because he stopped reporting to his parole officer and wasn't staying in approved housing, according to a Department of Corrections spokesman.
He served another 11 months until his latest release on parole on Oct. 3 of this year, records show.
He again stopped checking in with his parole officers so they issued a warrant for his arrest on Oct. 30, records show.
Feliz was grateful that the ex-con had been arrested.
"Good, good, good," he said. "Now we're happy. We’re ok."
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).
