KEY POINTS

  • Bharade, 47, sold homemade sanitizers
  • The sanitizers burned 4 children who used it
  • Bharade's 7-Eleven was opened to investigation

A New Jersey convenience store owner was charged for selling homemade spray sanitizers which injured four children who bought and used it.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, Wood-Ridge resident, Manisha Bharade, 47, owner of a 7-Eleven store in River Vale, was charged with endangering the welfare of children and deceptive business practices.

According to NBC News, Bharade mixed commercially available foaming sanitizer which was not supposed to be put on resale, with water and packaged them.

Authorities said that the mixture caused and apparent chemical reaction which burned the hands of the three 10-year-olds and an 11-year-old who used the product.

Five of 14 bottles that were sold were turned in to the police to be analyzed and state consumer officials opened an investigation into the sale and promotion of health and sanitation products at Bharade's 7-Eleven.

“Let me be perfectly clear: if you try to take advantage of our residents during a public health emergency, we will hold you accountable,” Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said. "Retailers who try to make a quick buck by exploiting others will face civil and criminal consequences."

sanitizer
While alcohol-based sanitizers can kill many types of microbes, they do not eliminate all types of germs. Reuters
Coronavirus