7-Eleven Owner Arrested After 4 Boys Chemically Burned by Spray Sanitizer
Despite a nationwide shortage of hand sanitizer as the nation battles the coronavirus pandemic, experts have warned against individuals making it themselves.
Police in New Jersey say a 7-Eleven store owner did so anyway. And now, she’s facing criminal charges.
Manisha Bharade, 47, was arrested earlier this month after repackaged spray bottles of homemade hand sanitizer sold in her establishment reportedly burned several children.
Bharade was “charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and deceptive business practices,” according to WOFL.
On the evening of March 9, officers from the River Vale Police Department went to the store after becoming aware of pictures posted to social media depicting a young boy with chemical burns on his arm and leg, according to a Facebook post from the department.
A total of four boys, including one 11-year-old and three 10-year-olds, were reportedly burned by the spray.
Police said Bharade “mixed commercially available foaming sanitizer, which was not meant for resale, with water and packaged it in aftermarket bottles to be sold at the 7-Eleven,” WOFL reported.
According to local authorities, a total of 14 bottles of the substance ended up being sold to customers, the New York Post reported.
Five bottles were surrendered to police and nine bottles were still missing, authorities said.
“While further investigation is underway, our first priority is to make the public aware that they should not use this item if they purchased it at the River Vale 7-Eleven,” River Vale Police Department Lieutenant John DeVoe said in the statement posted to Facebook.
“As far as we know, this issue is limited to the River Vale store at this time.”
The statement said that local, county and state authorities had been alerted to the issue.
New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs is looking into how the store has been promoting and selling sanitary and other health products in recent weeks.
WOFL reported that further tests would be conducted to identify everything that was in the bottles.
One of the 10-year-old boys who sustained burns was treated in the hospital and later released, while the other three boys’ injuries were not severe enough to require hospitalization, according to WABC.
New Jersey’s attorney general warned that any store that exploits panicked customers will be punished.
“Let me be perfectly clear: if you try to take advantage of our residents during a public health emergency, we will hold you accountable,” Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement to CNN.
“Retailers who try to make a quick buck by exploiting others will face civil and criminal consequences.”
7-Eleven Inc. expressed sympathy for the boy pictured in the social media post and assured the public that local stores “are obligated to comply” with the law.
“The safety and well-being of 7-Eleven customers is of utmost importance and our hearts are with this young man at this time,” the company said in a statement to CNN.
“We understand the severity of this situation and are cooperating with local law enforcement. We are reviewing this matter internally and will take appropriate action.”
DeVoe told WABC authorities do not suspect malicious intent on the part of Bharade.
But he cautioned parents to be vigilant about the products their children are using.
“I think that the parents need to be diligent to make sure that we’re using only products that are sanctioned and sold under a consumer product,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is to start buying into panic and creating our own type of sanitizers from compounds that we don’t know what they contain. That’s when the danger occurs. That’s when the compounds and mix and have a negative reaction, which is likely what occurred in this scenario.”
