Page 11 - IAV Digital Magazine #448

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
A Popular Mermaid Performer Is Asking For Help: Someone Stole Her $11K Tail
By Dillon Ancheta
HONOLULU HawaiiNewsNow) She performs under the name Mermaid Kariel.
But after an overnight home invasion, she's missing a crucial part of her cos- tume — her mer- maid tail.
It's a custom work of art she values at nearly $11,000.
She uses the tail in kid-friendly performances at Hawaii hotels where she teach- es youngsters about ocean safety, water conservation, and most impor- tantly, self confi- dence.
"There's been thousands of kids that have enjoyed this. What I give to them is my char- acter and today
I woke up and had to scramble and figure out how I was going to see those kids today," said
Kariel, who asked that her real name not be used.
Someone took the tail from her back lanai overnight Wednesday. Her property is secured by a gate, and she says whoever took it
must've broke through the fence and made their way around back.
"When you go into somebody's personal space, you leave them a feeling of not feeling safe any- more, especially in your own envi- ronment," she said. "That's the biggest concern for my family. I just don't feel safe anymore."
Kariel lives with her husband, daughter and pet dog on Oahu's
North Shore. For more than a year, she's invested her time and effort to hand craft the tail.
"These tails, they're so much money to buy and take so long to make that it's almost like bor- rowing some- one's wedding dress," she said. "I want my little mermaid wed- ding dress back."
Blue and sparkly, the tail has over 10,000 hand- sewn sequins. The fins were made from cus- tom silicon molds and hand paint- ed.
Kariel has con- tacted police, but hopes who- ever took it will return it.
"This tail really embodies my dream and it's
part of my char- acter and it's how I entertain kids," she said. "I would love to know it's not totally destroyed in the trash and that there's hope of getting it back."
Anyone who sees the one-of- a-kind creation is asked to contact police or email Kariel directly
at MermaidKariel @gmail.com.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine