Hispanic-owned businesses in Montgomery, Alabama, are being “hunted” by criminals, city officials said this week, after three people were killed in a supermarket shooting that authorities say may be linked to a series of targeted crimes .
For “those in our Latino and Hispanic communities…we see you, we hear you, and we will not tolerate it,” Mayor Steven Reed said Wednesday at a news conference. be hunted because people think they are an easy target or that they are easy prey. It’s easy to be the hunter. It’s different when you’re being hunted, and that’s what they are now.”
Community members say they are on edge after the fatal grocery store shooting and other crimes.
Police did not respond to requests to provide specific examples of other crimes that targeted Hispanic businesses. But NBC News affiliate WFSA in Montgomery reported that a ice cream shop was robbed twice in two monthsincluding in a Memorial Day crime in which a robber stole the wallets of a customer and an employee before a shot was fired into the ground.
Last month, a person was shot after refusing to give money to thieves outside a Mexican restaurant, the station reported. The owner told the news agency that this is not the first violent crime near the business, noting that a suspect once pulled a knife on his wife and fled with the cash register.
“We remain vigilant in areas where these crimes occur, as some victims have been targeted more than once,” Acting Police Chief John Hall said in a statement Friday. “We are actively collaborating with our federal partners on these cases. Together, we are working to identify and arrest those responsible.”
Officers are stepping up patrols near Latino businesses to deter potential crimes, police said. Authorities said they are also working with the FBI and federal authorities.
Police have not named any suspects or made any arrests in the Tuesday night robbery and triple homicide that killed Daniel Lopez, 20; his father and store owner, Romero Lopez, 43; and a client and friend of the Lopez family, George Elijah Jr., 50.
‘The community is very scared’
Maribel Lopez, 31, co-owned the grocery store “Tienda Los Hermanos” with her older brother.
She said this week was the fifth time criminals had broken into or robbed her store since it opened in November 2021.
In May, someone broke into the supermarket after hours, took two cash registers and cut the power, she said.
The deaths of his brother and nephew and the attack on Hispanic businesses shook residents.
“The community is very scared,” Lopez said. “We have been robbed so many times and they never did anything to solve the problems. Not just us – all Hispanics have been robbed so many times and no one has done anything about it.”
Mayor Reed said he understands their dissatisfaction.
“I understand why they feel that way. …. I feel like they are being targeted. We believe this was also the case and we believe we are restricting who is behind this,” he said.
Seeking ‘rigorous justice’
The mayor said Wednesday that Latino businesses appear to be targeted because some don’t have access to bank accounts or credit unions, meaning there’s more money stashed away.
He and the police chief noted that while some may be hesitant to report crimes or unusual activities to police because of their immigration status, authorities are only interested in solving those crimes.
“If they are victims… I classify them as citizens of Montgomery. I don’t look at anything else,” Hall said.
He added that investigators are working with federal authorities to determine whether federal charges are possible. They would fall under the Hobbs Law, “prohibiting actual or attempted theft or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“We will seek the strictest justice we can, and right now that strictest justice will be on the federal side,” Hall said.
‘They ruined my life’
The violence is personal for Mitchell “Holt” Elijah, 25, whose father was killed at the supermarket where he had been doing business with friends for more than a year as a credit card processor, equipping the Lopez store with machines that accept credit cards.
George Elijah was in the store buying carrots for the family’s two Labrador retrievers – and certainly also talking to the store’s owners and customers – when he was killed, his son said.
“They considered him family,” Holt Elijah said. “I received so many Hispanics from the community, from their families, [who] contacted me, saying how sorry they were and how they would miss him,” he said. “It was so eye-opening.”
He said the violence that killed his father, who also owned a gold and silver business, was absurd.
“His biggest dream for me was to be respectful of other people. … He wanted me to be respectful, truthful and successful,” Elijah said.
During their last phone conversation, about five hours before the fatal shooting, Elijah said he and his father told each other, “I love you.”
George Elijah’s wife, Claudia Cauthen, 39, said she is struggling to cope with her husband’s death.
“I’m still in shock, thinking he’s never going to walk through the door again,” she said. “They completely turned my life upside down. They ruined my life. I really hope that one day we can take care of them.”
Maribel Lopez, 31, who said her family is from Guatemala, described her older brother as jovial and someone who always tried to make people smile. Her nephew was more reserved and never bothered anyone, she said.
She said George Elijah frequented the store, had a penchant for buying avocados and loved his family.
“They loved people,” she said. “I want justice for all three.”
She said her brother dreamed of opening more stores.
“They wanted to build some stores and do things for our community… He loves helping people.”
The business remained open Friday, but Lopez wasn’t sure whether his family would continue to run the supermarket because he feared criminals would strike again.
“It’s very difficult that someone can take away our dreams,” she said. “We deserve more.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
