"Predatory" Denver Barber Accused of Years of Inappropriate Behavior Toward Clients

One Reddit post has uncovered years of alleged misconduct committed by a barber in Denver.

Cesar Diaz is facing numerous accusations of sexually inappropriate behavior toward clients of his business, Ari's Barbershop on West Colfax Avenue. The wave of allegations stems from a since-removed Reddit post on Tuesday, July 1, from a man recounting an "uncomfortable and disturbing encounter" at the barbershop.

The poster claimed Diaz repeatedly touched him inappropriately during a haircut, including by caressing the customer's face and pressing his pelvis into the customer's body. The poster also said Diaz made unwanted remarks about his body and appearance. When he left a negative review about his experience, he claimed that Diaz called him and made threats.

This is far from the first time Diaz has been the target of complaints. Online reviews for Ari's Barbershop reveal accusations of sexual misconduct dating as far back as 2022. Many men commented on the Reddit post with their own stories of being victimized by Diaz.

A Denver man who received a haircut from Diaz in May says he could tell something was "very, very wrong" as soon as he entered Ari's Barbershop. There was only one chair and mirror, a setup that seemed temporary and almost "like a front for something," he says. There were no other employees or customers, just he and Diaz alone in the shop at 3609 West Colfax Avenue, nestled between a sex shop and a liquor store.

"Immediately I got an impression that this guy is eyeing me up and down in a way that felt weird," says the man who asked that his name not be used. "I tell him, 'Hey, I want this particular haircut.' He doesn't ask any questions about the haircut. The first question he asked is, 'Where do you live?' And I said, 'I'm in the neighborhood, right down the street.' And he said, 'No, where specifically do you live?' And I was like, 'Uh oh, this just got really weird.'"

During the haircut, the man says Diaz kept touching his face and neck in a way he had never experienced with a barber before. At one point, he says Diaz placed his palm over the man's nose and eyes while rubbing his face with his thumb. Afterward, he insisted on giving the man a massage despite his repeated refusal.

"I got up out of there as quick as I could," he says. "I definitely did not feel safe. The way that he was asking questions, the way that he was touching — the word that comes to mind is 'predatory.' It felt like he had a very clear agenda and was looking for an excuse to do something.

"I thought it was an isolated incident, but then I saw the Reddit post," he adds. "Like, wow, I was in a situation that could have gone really bad."

Four different Yelp reviewers alleged that they were sexually assaulted or harassed by the barber at Ari's Barbershop in 2022 and 2023, when it was located in Westminster. Some customers claimed the barber squeezed their muscles, stroked their face, repeatedly spoke about sex, and invited them to sit on the couch with him after their haircut. The most serious review identified Diaz by name:

"I was sexually assaulted at this barber shop and have a police investigation underway," the review from June 2022 reads. "Some unwanted touching took place here follo [sic] by numerous times of harassment by Cesar. Please do not take your children here as this man is a danger to the community."

The Westminster Police Department confirms that it received three reports against Diaz when he operated in the city, one in 2022 and two in 2023. The outcomes of those reports are unclear; Westword's record requests are still pending.

The Google business page and Booksy profile for Ari's Barbershop's current Denver location have been removed, but screenshots of those reviews shared online show a similar pattern of behavior after Diaz moved to the Mile High City. Reviews from as recent as June of 2025 contain more accusations of "creepy" touching, "weird questions" and face rubbing.

Diaz denies the allegations against him. When asked to respond generally to claims of inappropriate conduct, Diaz seemed to take a dig at the author of the Reddit post.

"That guy is on drugs," Diaz wrote in an Instagram message to Westword. "Lol. He crazy is one of those guys who use drugs."

Diaz did not respond to a follow-up inquiry asking him to comment on the numerous other reviews accusing him of misconduct for years.

Ari's Barbershop has previously blamed "drugs" to discredit complaints from customers. The business replied to the June 2022 Yelp review accusing Diaz of sexual assault with this comment: "This person is on drugs so please don't believe his lies ..he wants to destroy my bussines [sic]."

The business has responded to other customers with personal insults. After a May review said Diaz "will make you feel extremely uncomfortable," the barbershop replied: "This man after a month comes to cry like a little girl hahaha this man wanted affection from me and I didn't give it to him and that's why he's angry."

In July 2024, a review claimed Diaz "kept flirting and asking me very weird questions the entire time. Then he would rub my face and massage my eyeballs." The barbershop responded by accusing the customer of being "in the closet," writing, "I'm sorry daddy if you have problems with your sexual orientation but don't come to me frustrated after good service."

In June, after a review called a haircut experience "uncomfortable and creepy," the barbershop responded: "This guy is traumatized and is confuse [sic] about his sexuality like many mens [sic] out there. He love trans and gay boys and when he had a good time with one he regret it and get angry."

The author of the Reddit post did not respond to an interview request. In replies to his post, he said he filed a police report and a complaint with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, which oversees professional licensing for barbers in the state.

A spokesperson for DORA says the department cannot confirm or disclose information about active investigations. Diaz has never before received disciplinary action against his cosmetologist license, according to state licensing records. The Better Business Bureau has received no complaints regarding the barbershop.

Ari's Barbershop is no longer available on Booksy.com as of July 4. The business's Facebook and Instagram accounts appear to have been deactivated.