A 7-Eleven store owner in New Jersey is facing multiple charges after she allegedly mixed and sold sanitizer that left four children with chemical burns.
Authorities arrested Manisha Bharade on Tuesday and charged her with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Bharade allegedly sold a pink liquid mixed with foaming sanitizer and water at her River Vale, New Jersey, 7-Eleven, WPIX reported.
The mock sanitizer left the four boys with chemical burns to their skin, burning one of the boys so badly that he had to be hospitalized for first- and second-degree burns to both his arms and legs.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal criticized retailers who “try to make a quick buck by exploiting others,” adding that there will be legal consequences for those who do not follow the law.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. increases, consumer panic has sparked a run to the store on basic items such as hand sanitizer and bottled water.
Democrat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that his state would be making its own hand sanitizer through the use of prison labor.
Some stores like Costco have put limits on the number of essentials a customer can buy each day to stem the panic-buying that has led to empty shelves and altercations with other customers.