« Fox & Friends

Minnesota business owner hit twice in one year by looters

2021-04-14 | 🔗
Moh Habib, who owns the sneaker store STUDIIYO23 in Minneapolis, says he was targeted by looters two weeks after reopening following a seven month closure due to looters during the George Floyd riots.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
An suv built around you all of you, Steve, a third straight night of Steve, a third straight night of protest and trouble in Minnesota, the scene all too familiar in n, that state last may of twenty twenty sneaker boutique studio. Twenty three bass looted during the riot in Minneapolis. They lost about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of merchandise and were forced to close for seven months. Then, finally, two weeks ago, they finally reopened and guess what they were once again looted amid the latest unrest and studio. Twenty three has to once again try to rebuild. Try to rebuild the owner of that store, MO ha ha joins us now. Thanks for having me on your store is fifteen miles away from Brooklyn Center. Why did they hit you a second time? You know we woke up and asked ourselves the same question
and its just a matter of opportunists. Looking for any chance to thief, loot burn break into property. That is not theirs and we just happen to be a very popular place in the city where you know folks can come together and not only you know, purchase goods, but we operate as an art gearl. We have always been a community space where people come together. Its such a shame people take advantage of an already terrible situation, Steve looking at the video where they cleaned you out its heart. Breaking. What about the police? Did the police ever show up the first time they did not, and by the first time I mean after the George Floyd death back in may this time. By the time I arrived at the scene, there were officers there, but because the city was so busy with crimes everywhere. As soon as I got there, the owner they needed to pick up and leave to attend to other calls that they were receiving
Steve well as a business owner who works their entire life to build the business, thatS got to be heart breaking thats. The whole reason we have a police force is to help you, when you are in a situation like that right. The first time was pretty devastating, because you know we would see squad cars drive up, but no one was able to help us and I get it the city the first time around was everyone sought. Videos was on fire and I believe the police force was already strained that evening and then this past time. You know, I still understand you know there is app dot s to show you where crime is happening. It was all around us. We were being surrounded by looters and even when we arrived at the scene and the police left, if it wasnt for myself and five staff and friends who unfortunately had to be armed in front of our boutique looters kept coming in waves to try to get us again, Steve, unbelievable after the George Floyd killing,
and then you were looted. It took you seven months to rebuild you finally get to the point you reopen and boom. This happens. You know, do you think the mindset of the person who is doing the looting instead of thinking you know this guy has got insurance? He is going to be fine. You know that definitely plays a part of it and a lot of the Times York gets that far. I just think they have seen opportunity where they know that law enforcement is going to be extremely busy and not age. To respond able to respond to all. There are selfish people out there in the world who take advantage when people are down. People know what happened to us. We are not the only ones, thousands of businesses across Minnesota and across the u dot. S were devastated not only by lootings, but then you add, on top of that, the pandemic and the economic pressure that that puts on business owners all across the nation and its been really tough. So for us to be able to reopen
and be the light in the city that people expect us to be, and all our community action? U DOT, SS its tough to know that now we have to close again sole source of income for me and my two little kids and their staff, its their only source of income as Well Steve. It is heart, breaking im sure there are Hermine who would like to help. You out, I know there is a go fund me page, to go to go fund me dot com, as you can see right there studio twenty three dash recovery, MOH! Good luck to you.
Transcript generated on 2021-04-14.