New Jersey 7-Eleven Owner Arrested Over Sanitizer That Burned Boys

(Bloomberg) -- The owner of a 7-Eleven in River Vale, New Jersey, was arrested and accused of selling a home-made “spray sanitizer” that burned four boys.

Police took on the case after receiving information from social media that three 10-year-olds and one 11-year-old had been injured after using the product, according to a statement from the state attorney general and Bergen County prosecutor.

The store owner, Manisha Bharade, of Wood-Ridge, was charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one of deceptive business practices.

Bharade had mixed water and foaming sanitizer, which was meant for commercial use and not for resale, and then packaged the concoction in bottles for sale at the 7-Eleven on Rivervale Road, according to the statement.

Fourteen were sold. Police are on the hunt for nine bottles that remain unaccounted for.

Consumers have been buying up hand sanitizer, face masks and other products amid growing fear over the spread of the new coronavirus. State officials have warned retail outlets they will aggressively protect consumers against price gouging and deceptive practices.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stacie Sherman in Princeton at sbabula@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net, Stephen Merelman, Andrés R. Martinez

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