Penns Grove salon owner glad for support

PENNS GROVE - Two weeks after her salon was vandalized, Blu Salon and Spa owner Michelle Cobb said business is back to normal.

"Everyone is calm, busy and happy," said Cobb. "We are in the middle of prepping for the holidays."

On Oct. 21, Cobb's salon, which was a million dollar renovation project, sustained extensive damage as a result of vandalism. Vandals spray-painted racial slurs against white people, profanity, and swastikas on various parts of the building and sidewalk.

According to officials from the Penns Grove Police Department, once caught, those responsible will be charged with a biased crime and faced with severe consequences.

Sgt. Ted Stranahan said the department has received between 35 and 40 leads on the case.

"We have followed on all the leads we received and have interviewed a multitude of people," said Stranahan.

Cobb said that both her staff and customers have been very supportive in the weeks following the incident.

"All of my customers have been 100-percent supportive," she said.

Although Cobb stands firm in the belief that the vandalism will not cause her to leave her beloved salon, she has taken several safety measures to ensure that another incident does not happen.

"Everything is stepped up a little bit," said Cobb. "I have made sure the cameras (placed outside the salon) are working 100 percent and I watch them from home every night. We have also ramped up our alarm system."

Blu Salon and Spa is offering a $3,500 reward to anyone that provides information that leads to the capture and prosecution of those responsible for the vandalism.

The reward is not $7,000 and does not include funds from the borough council, as was reported previously.

Stranahan wants the public to know they are able to leave tips for investigators anonymously.

"Even if someone wants to call in, they can do so anonymously," he said. "Just call the police department and leave the information. There is definitely someone out there who knows who did it and we will continue to investigate until we find him."

Anyone with information about the crime should contact Stranahan at (856) 299-0304 or Det. Amy Martin at (856) 935-7510 ext. 8584.