The owner of a New Jersey convenience store reportedly created her own sanitizer and sold the bottles to the public, and several children were allegedly burned after using it.
47-year-old Manisha Bharade owns a 7-11 store in River Vale New Jersey.
Since the widespread outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), people have found it increasingly difficult to obtain items in high demand, such as hand sanitizer.
Bharade reportedly whipped up a concoction of homemade sanitizer spray that the authorities believe was made from commercial-grade products with water and sold them in plastic spray bottles for $2.99 each.
Four children, one 11-years-old and the other three age 10, reportedly bought Bharade’s sanitizer from the 7-11 and after applying the product to their bodies they each reportedly had burns appear on their flesh.
The authorities reported that a picture was circulating on social media depicting a boy with what looked like burn marks on his arms and legs. After learning that more children were injured with burn marks it was discovered that they each shared a connection in their use of the product Bharade was selling, and it was assumed that it was what caused the injuries.
On the evening of March 9, the River Vale Police Department sent officers to the store and they confiscated the rest of the spray bottles.
Bharade was charged for suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child, and deceptive business practices.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office released a statement regarding the incident sharing that the Division of Consumer Affairs intends to fully inspect the situation. Attorney General Grewal additionally added that there will be criminal penalties for any business found using the crisis as a way to “make a quick buck by exploiting others.”
When speaking with a local news outlet, a ranking law enforcement official stated that they didn’t think the woman was trying to overcharge or harm anyone, but that she lacked the credentials it would take to create the type of product she reportedly sold.
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