A Henderson barbershop known for giving free haircuts to children with autism and other special needs every Tuesday is still cutting hair despite losing roughly $30,000 in clippers, trimmers and other equipment to a burglar who struck in September. Surveillance video captured the break-in at 101 Barbershop on Sept. 12, with owner Stacie Skillman saying the theft took less than two minutes.
According to KSNV, the footage shows a person entering the business and taking equipment directly from barber stations, making off with clippers, trimmers, edgers, electronics and other gear used during the shop's weekly free haircut appointments. Skillman is now offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the burglar's identification, and she's asking anyone who recognizes the person in the surveillance footage, notices suspicious activity, or hears of someone trying to sell a large quantity of barber equipment to come forward.
For Skillman, the loss cuts deeper than dollars. Some of the stolen tools had been owned by the same barbers since the shop opened in September 2022, and she told the station the items carried sentimental value for staff who have worked in the industry for years — some for as long as two decades. The burglary upset her, she said, because her team had worked hard to build a safe space for children and families.
A Shop Built Around One Mother's Search for Patience
Skillman opened 101 Barbershop because finding a comfortable place for her nonverbal son, who is on the autism spectrum, to get a haircut had been difficult. That personal struggle shaped the shop's entire approach to clients with sensory sensitivities, and it's the same story Skillman told fox5vegas.com when the outlet profiled the shop in 2023, noting she was inspired by her son Jordan to open the Henderson business on Horizon Drive and Horizon Ridge Parkway.
The shop's barbers tailor each haircut to the individual sensory needs of the client, creating what the earlier report described as a safe, inclusive space for all. That design shows up in the numbers: 101 Barbershop sets aside 24 free haircut appointments for special needs clients every Tuesday from noon to 4 p.m., a window KNPR Desert Companion also documented in its own coverage of the program. Skillman said those appointments are always fully booked.
Business Continues Despite the Financial Hit
Skillman said the shop offers a safe place where children can get free haircuts every Tuesday, and that mission hasn't stopped since the burglary. She told the station the business is thriving and doing okay despite the financial and emotional toll of the theft, and the shop is continuing to operate while it works to recover the stolen equipment or the money to replace it.
The foundation behind the free haircut program has broader ambitions beyond weekly appointments. The 101 Barber Foundation says on its website that it is developing a career training program and tuition assistance for barbering and cosmetology, with an ultimate goal of building a specialized barbering and cosmetology school tailored to the autism and special needs community. The foundation also runs an annual Christmas party and toy drive along with an Easter egg hunt for the families it serves.
Barbershops Across the Country Have Faced Similar Break-Ins
101 Barbershop isn't the only shop to get hit hard this year. In Trenton, two suspects allegedly broke into Los Primos Barbershop in mid-September, with one smashing through the glass front door before both made off with between $3,000 and $4,000 in equipment and caused roughly $1,000 in damage, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. A separate case in San Antonio involved an alleged theft of $10,000 in clippers and supplies after a suspect reportedly broke through a wall shared with a neighboring storefront, as reported by KENS 5.
No police report, case number or arrest information tied to the 101 Barbershop burglary has been made public, and it remains unclear whether the reward has generated any leads. For now, Skillman and her staff are focused on keeping the Tuesday appointments running for the families who rely on them, even as they work to replace the tools taken in those two minutes in September.
