Shopper Says Beauty Store Owner Attacked Her

An Arlington woman says a store owner accused her of stealing and attacked her.

Ruth Jones said Guyman Lee, 30, grabbed her wallet, threw it behind him and accused of stealing when she tried to pay for beauty products for her daughters at Uptown Beauty Supply on March 6. He then attacked her, she said.

"He wouldn't let me go," Jones said. "He just kept on doing all these moves on me and tossing me all over the store, and my daughters were trying to help me out, and ladies in the store [were] trying to help me, telling him to let me go, but he wouldn't."

Arlington police arrested Lee on suspicion of aggravated assault.

Jones' attorney, Douglas Greene, and the Arlington NAACP have suggested that the attack happened because Jones is black.

"People have to understand that this conduct cannot take place here in 2013. This is ridiculous," Greene said.

A review of the store's security video shows that Jones was not stealing, he said.

Kimmee Manning, a customer at Uptown Beauty Supply, said she was treated at the store Friday.

"I walked in the store, they said hello, treated me very courteous, said 'thank you' when I left and 'have a nice day,'" she said.

Lee, who is free on bail and back at his store, declined to comment on the case and said he was looking for a lawyer.

He does not have a previous criminal record, according to a records search.