The owners of a liquor store on Detroit’s east side say they are being targeted by arsonists.
The latest incident happened Wednesday morning. The party store has been set on fire four times in two weeks, and owners say they opened the store only 13 days ago.
“Whoever is doing it.... stop doing it,” said Owner Mario Odisho.
That’s the message Odisho has for the men who were seen on surveillance video trying to set Piper Liquor on fire.
“Put the gas, trying to start a fire, they did it for about a minute and half and run away,” Odisho said.
There were four separate incidents including setting the roof on fire twice, the back door and the front door on fire. And that isn’t the most shocking part.
“(We're) right across the street from a police station," Odisho said. "No one would think anything would happen.”
Odisho felt opening a business on East Nevada Street across the from Precinct 11 would mean criminals would avoid this area, but it hasn’t been the case.
He speculates the store is being targeted by other business owners who are threatened by Piper Liquor.
Odisho wondered, “Maybe other businesses are slowing down.”
He hopes Detroit police take his cases more seriously because the fires have caused at least $10,000 worth of damage.
“I have to hire people to come fix the roof," he said. "I have to hire people to do my doors. I have to hire people to come clean up.”
The latest incident happened on Wednesday at 4 a.m., causing damage to the air conditioner and leaving the store feeling like a sauna.
“I’m calling the AC guy right now.," Odisho said. "They will be here in about an hour, hour-and-half. They are trying to fix it for me.”
He has this message to the men in the video: “Whoever is paying you it’s not worth it. You don’t want to waste all your life in the jail.”
