Redondo Beach Police are searching for suspects who are believed to have stolen a Donald Trump-inspired decorative hat from the statue of a head outside of the Joe Oliveri Hair Design salon, at 1401 S. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Police say that, on March 8 around 2 a.m., three people stole a large, red hat, reading “Make Your Hair Great Again” from outside of the salon, placing it on top of a dark sedan before driving away with it. The hat is a parody of the controversial Republican presidential candidate’s “Make America Great Again” catchphrase.
Surveillance camera footage shows three suspects: One male, wearing a blue flannel shirt and blue jeans, with short hair and a possible beard; a male or female suspect wearing a light-colored, striped hoodie and dark pants; and a heavy-set male wearing a white jersey bearing the number 32, with possible facial hair.
“I didn’t put it up there to make a political statement. I just thought it was fitting,” Joe Oliveri said. “Trump is like a locomotive, and I was just jumping on for the ride.”
In a press release issued last year, Oliveri said that “with the amount of time [Trump] spends fussing with that over-worked flap of hair on his forehead, his time could be more well spent putting together the right deal if he would just let me make his hair great again.”
This isn’t the first time that the head, and the hat, have been subjected to damage. Last November, the statue was damaged when vandals attempted to knock the hat off of its post. They succeeded, taking some of the topiary and the statue along with it. That cost around $2,000 to repair, Oliveri said.
The statue was installed 46 years ago, and has been decorated time and time again to humorous effect. During the holidays, it’s been given a Santa hat; during the salon’s remodeling periods, it was given rollers and a cap; during cold snaps, Oiveri placed earmuffs on the head.
“People look forward to the changes. They stop, get out of the car, stand in front of it and take pictures. It makes me feel good. I thought it’d give people a chuckle, and it did,” Oliveri said. “Except for the three guys who ripped it off…they probably didn’t even read it.”
The salon owner acknowledged the heightened political climate, saying that he and his wife have been worried, given violence that has occurred at recent Trump for President rallies.
Oliveri said that people have asked if he’ll make another one. “I’ve told them that I don’t think I will,” he said. “But if I get it back, I might just put it on backwards.”
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the hat or the three suspects is asked to call RBPD at 310-370-2477 or Det. Delery at 310-370-2477, ext. 2317.
