Hispanic-owned businesses in Montgomery, Alabama, are being “hunted” by criminals, city officials said this week, after three people were killed in a shooting at a supermarket that officials said could be linked to a series of targeted crimes.
To “those in our Latino and Hispanic communities… we see you, we hear you, and we are not going to stand for this,” Mayor Steven Reed said at a news conference Wednesday. “We are not going to stand in front of people who are 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 the case now.”
Community members say they are on edge after the fatal supermarket shooting and other crimes.
Police did not respond to requests to provide specific examples of other crimes targeting Spanish companies. But NBC News affiliate WFSA of Montgomery has reported that an ice cream shop has been robbed twice in two months, including a Memorial Day crime in which a thief took 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 robbers money outside a Mexican restaurant, the station reported. The owner told the news outlet that this was not the first violent crime in the area of the business, noting that a suspect once pointed a knife at his wife and ran off with the cash register.
“We remain vigilant in areas where these crimes are taking place as some victims have been targeted more than once,” Acting Police Chief John Hall said in a statement Friday. “We are actively working with our federal partners on these cases. Together we are working to identify and arrest those responsible.”
Officers are increasing patrols near Latino businesses to thwart potential crimes, police said. Authorities said they are also cooperating with the FBI and federal officials.
Police have not named any suspects or made any arrests in Tuesday night’s robbery and triple homicide that left 20-year-old Daniel Lopez dead; 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, owned the Tienda Los Hermanos supermarket with her older brother.
She said this week marked the fifth time criminals have broken into or stolen from her store since it opened in November 2021.
In May, someone broke into the supermarket after hours, took two cash registers and cut off the power, she said.
The deaths of her brother and cousin and the attacks on Spanish businesses have shocked residents.
“The community is very scared,” Lopez said. “We were robbed like so many times before, 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 that was the case, and we believe we are in the process of finding out who is behind that,” he said.
In search of ‘tough 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 more cash is in store.
He and the police chief noted that while some may be hesitant to report crime or unusual activity to police because of their immigration status, officials are only interested in solving these crimes.
“If they are a victim…I have classified 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. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, they would be subject to the Hobbs Act, “which prohibits actual or attempted theft or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce.”
“We’re going to pursue the strictest justice that we can, and right now that strictest justice is going to 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 done business with his friends for more than a year as a credit card processor and equipped Lopez’s store with credit card processing machines.
George Elijah was in the store buying carrots for the family’s two Labradors — and was also believed to be chatting with the store’s owners and customers — when he was killed, his son said.
“They considered him family,” Holt Elijah said. “I have met so many Spanish people from the community, from their families, [who] contacted me and told me how sorry they were and how they are going to miss him,” he said.” It was so eye-opening.
He said the violence that killed his father, who also owned a gold and silver company, was senseless.
“His biggest dream for me was to be respectful to 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 come to terms with her husband’s death.
“I’m still very shocked because I don’t think he’ll ever come 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 laugh. Her cousin was more reserved and never bothered anyone, she said.
She said George Elijah was a regular at the store, had a penchant for buying avocados and adored her family.
“They loved people,” she said. “I want justice for the three of them.”
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 if her family would continue running the grocery store because they feared criminals would strike again.
“It’s very difficult that someone can take away our dreams,” she said. “We deserve more.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
