Manager of Looted Store: Looters 'Knew Exactly What They Wanted'

Manager of Looted Store: Looters 'Knew Exactly What They Wanted'

The manager of a store that was looted in the midst of the ongoing protests in Ferguson, MO believes that the looters planned and targeted his family’s store and expects it will be hard to get back in business. 

Jan Lalani, the store manager and son of the owner, spoke to Fox News Channel’s “Your World” Tuesday afternoon, estimating that the damage to the store is likely around $50,000.

“It’s really hard to put a dollar amount right now, but with all the damage and the merchandise we had to throw out because of a fire and everything that was taken, definitely looking at something around $50,000,” Lalani said to fill-in host Stuart Varney.

As to whether the store will be able to stay in business Lalani said, “My dad is still kind of considering what the next step is going to be, but we don’t want to close up, but it’s just — the amount that was taken is hard to get back into business again.”

He surmised that the looters actions were premeditated, noting evidence he has viewed on surveillance tapes.

“I definitely think that the people that were in that looting that night, they definitely knew what they were coming for because I’ve been watching the surveillance, and they come back with backpacks and they pretty much knew what they were going for so, I’m sure they definitely knew exactly what they wanted that night,” Lalani said. 

Lalani added that his father, an immigrant from India, built the store up over about 20 years and is “heartbroken.”

Follow Caroline May on Twitter @c_maydc

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