Beauty shop targeted, building vandalized with racial slurs

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando magnificence store proprietor is now collateral injury in a dispute between companies following a viral video exhibiting a girl utilizing a racial slur at an area restaurant.

Iris Mejia owns Magnificence Bar Orlando on Hillcrest St. close to E. Colonial. Final week, her store was vandalized with racial slurs.

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Phrases like “Return to your cage monkey” had been plastered throughout her constructing with spray paint.

Individuals are harassing the store proprietor as a result of they mistook her enterprise for an additional store with an analogous identify.

Kristen Nguyen, an worker at King Cajun Crawfish on Mills Avenue recorded this video final week.

Nguyen mentioned the client captured on video spewed racist phrases at her after being denied a refund for meals she ate.

Within the video, you’ll be able to hear the client handle workers on the restaurant utilizing racial pejoratives, saying, “Take your [expletive] again to your county, ch***-ch***!”

“We can not settle for this sort of habits, which is the primary motive I put it on-line,” Nguyen mentioned.

Offended social media customers had been fast to behave. They started leaving unhealthy evaluations in regards to the store on Google and sending racially charged messages in return — however they focused the flawed enterprise.

Nigel Mejia is the store proprietor’s son. He mentioned discovering his mother’s enterprise vandalized was a whole shock.

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“We shouldn’t be preventing hate with hate,” he mentioned.

Iris mentioned she has been in misery. The slew of hateful evaluations on Google tarnished her as soon as five-star score. She has additionally obtained threats to burn her enterprise down.

Michelle Niesluchowski is a hairstylist who runs a separate enterprise within the constructing. She mentioned what is going on to Iris is devastating.

“It’s horrible. That’s not the reply for something. You already know, it’s simply perpetuating extra hate and extra violence,” she mentioned.

Niesluchowski referred to as Iris Mejia superb and type. Iris’ son mentioned his mom would by no means spew hate like this.

Niesluchowski mentioned a number of folks have additionally booked faux appointments on the store, leaving nasty feedback.

“It’s been a whole waste of time and cash,” she mentioned.

Nigel created a GoFundMe to assist cowl revenue loss and clear up. To date it has gained greater than half the $10,000 purpose.

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Iris mentioned she has filed a number of police reviews. For his or her security, she even put up surveillance cameras across the constructing.

Iris is pleading with the neighborhood to cease harassing her.