Belleville Police Chief Gene Taylor said his department is investigating an incident that left Enrica Hensley with a black eye and bruises following a dispute over a wedding dress shortly after noon on Saturday.
Hensley was due to go to an eye specialist on Monday afternoon to see if her cornea is damaged, as well. But first she had to finish her workday at the shop, black eye and all.
Hensley said it all started when a bride-elect brought a wedding dress to her shop on Feb. 6 for alterations. Hensley said she also replaced a missing hook and pressed the crinoline.
Enrica’s Golden Needle, 436 Main Street in Belleville, is a longtime center for preparing clothes for local people to attend formal events, proms, and weddings, as well as general alterations and repairs.
On Saturday, the bride, along with her mother-in-law and bridesmaid came to pick up the dress. The bride complained that it was wrinkled and some things weren’t done.
Hensley said she did everything she was asked to do, and more, and the bill was $45. The bride didn’t want to pay for it. Hensley didn’t want her to take it without paying her bill.
Hensley said if the bride had said she didn’t have the money, she would have worked something out, as she has with other customers many times in the past.
Hensley said when the three women were in the dressing room whispering, she felt something was up and sent her grandson out of the shop, telling him to go shopping. Her daughter Angie was visiting from Chicago and the young lady who works for Hensley, Angeline (Angie), were present.
Hensley said the bride later said her dad was on the phone and he told her to take the dress and run.
Hensley tried to stop that, she said, and the two younger women knocked her down on the floor, one sitting on her stomach and the other holding her arm back so far she thought it would break.
Hensley said she saw the punch coming but didn’t think fast enough to duck.
Meanwhile, the two Angies called Belleville Police, who arrived immediately and detained the women.
The women claimed Hensley attacked them and scratched the face of one of them. Hensley said she has never had nails long enough to scratch and her doctor can attest to that.
Hensley said Belleville Police told her if they arrested anyone they would have to arrest them all, so they arrested no one. She said she was disappointed in that.
At the end, Hensley got her $45 and the women took the dress.
“This is the first time anything like this happened to me in 30 years,” Hensley said of her time in the shop on Main Street.
“I’m 66 years old and if I wasn’t athletic, every bone in my body would have been broken,” she added.
“I’m glad I wasn’t alone,” she said. “If so, they probably wouldn’t have found me until Monday.”
Hensley said the ones who hurt her should be punished, but she doesn’t want to see them go to jail. She’d rather they had to do community service.
Anything, so they know they can’t do things like this in the future.
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” Hensley said.
Hensley was born in Italy and attended high school in Germany. That was where she met the man who became her husband, Herman Hensley, who was with the U.S. Army. In 1967, they moved to the house they still live in next to St. Anthony Catholic Church in Belleville.
She is known for forging personal relationships with her customers and making them 100% satisfied.