LAKESIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — A longtime eyebrow threading shop in Lakeside is picking up the pieces after a break-in that left the owner shaken—and searching for a sense of security.
For years, Snowflake Brows Threading on Maine Avenue has been a go-to spot for beauty services in East County. But recently, it became the latest target of theft.
The shop’s front door—once shattered during the break-in—has since been repaired. Inside, surveillance cameras captured the suspect in action. According to the owner, the person behind the crime was no stranger.
“It was early morning… and my stuff was gone and the door was broken,” said owner Bevy Cody.
Cody, who has operated Snowflake Brows Threading since 2019, walked through the small shop showing the damage left behind.
“The safe was right here,” she said, pointing to an empty space. “He took the camera and left it just like that.”
She says the suspect broke in through the front and took several items, including a safe containing deeply personal documents.
“The safe had my car title, my Social Security card—original one—and my kids’ paperwork,” Cody said. “I break down because what was in there—it’s gone.”
Cody says law enforcement was able to quickly identify the suspect using surveillance footage from nearby businesses.
“They ran his registration and they got him,” she said.
But what came next was even more shocking.
“I said, ‘Oh my gosh… he was my plumber guy. I thought I could trust him,’” Cody said. “I wanted to help him… and then he robbed me.”
Since the break-in, Cody says the emotional toll has been overwhelming.
“I’m just traumatized. I don’t sleep. I don’t eat well. I am just scared—living in fear right now,” she said.
The impact has also affected her business. Cody says she’s temporarily only accepting cash, which has led to a loss of customers.
“I say I’m sorry, right now I just take cash, and some people don’t like it—and I lost a lot of clients,” she said.
With costly repairs already adding up, Cody is now considering additional security measures, including installing bars on doors and windows.
“I guess I have to do the same thing,” she said. “I am going to be the rest of my life in fear. I don’t trust anymore. I have trust issues.”
Despite the setback, Cody says she is doing everything she can to keep her business running while rebuilding both her shop and her sense of safety.
