Immigrant who ran Atlantic Town memento store dies right after shop ransacked by juveniles
A Pakistani immigrant who was a nicely-regarded businessman in Atlantic City for more than 40 a long time, died past Thursday just after a team of teenagers – which includes at minimum two armed with a knife – ransacked just one of his retailers.
Mehmood Ansari collapsed and died shortly just after his keep was robbed around 7:30 p.m. on April 1. Even though autopsy experiences are pending, Ansari’s son informed Fox Information his father probably died of heart failure, brought on by the worry of the theft.
Mehmood Ansari immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistani additional than 40 many years ago.
(Asif Ansari)
The theft unfolded when a team of about six to 8 juveniles came into the retail outlet, stole some merchandise, and still left, Ansari’s son, Asif, instructed Fox Information. The team returned a small though later, and at least two – a 12-yr-old and a 14-12 months-outdated – were armed with a knife, Asif mentioned.
Asif approximated that the theft lasted everywhere from 15 to 20 minutes as his spouse and children waited for police to arrive – some thing he reported has been taking place far more frequently.
“They are not there, they are not operating for us. You know, we fork out best dollars, taxes, but (law enforcement) are not defending us at all,” Asif said.
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Responding officers arrested the two juveniles. Ansari was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Health-related Heart, Town Campus, the place he was pronounced lifeless.
The 12-12 months-outdated has been charged with two counts of robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful objective, straightforward assault, shoplifting, terroristic threats, and conspiracy, the Press of Atlantic Town noted.
The 14-year-old has been billed with theft, very simple assault, shoplifting, and conspiracy but was launched to a parent’s custody pending courtroom, in accordance to the outlet.
Town Souvenirs, a single of various firms owned by Mehmood Ansari’s relatives in Atlantic Town.
(Google Maps)
Asif reported robberies and thefts – compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Issues protests – have been escalating in latest a long time and scaring off visitors.
“They’ve been receiving out of hand, and we never have a better technique of safety for any person,” Asif told Fox Information. “We have been attempting to inquire for help from the city, but they’ve by no means aided us for the previous two several years. We have been seeking.”
Ansari claimed the relatives is scheduling to meet up with with the prosecutors on Friday to relay their considerations about the deficiency of protection.
Fox Information reached out to Deputy Main James Sarkos, interim officer-in-cost of town law enforcement, but did not hear back again right before publication. In a Friday assertion acquired by NJ.com, Sarkos claimed the department is “knowledgeable of the fears and problems” regarding juveniles, and programs to get the job done with bussinesses.
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“He’d been there 40 years. Each and every working day he worked hard,” Asif claimed of his father, who owned a number of corporations in Atlantic Metropolis. “We had been performing as a household there. We check out and make things greater.”
Ansari mentioned he strategies to show up at rallies to protest the absence of defense if his family is unable to get the enable they need.
“They should really do one thing, since these juveniles, you can’t touch them. And it is truly unfortunate because they can touch you. It’s absurd,” Asif mentioned. “It will come down to defense. If there’s defense, we can safely and securely do organization with no imagining of that.”
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His father’s loss of life came just about a week just after two Black teenager girls – one 13, the other 15 – had been charged with the deadly carjacking of a 66-calendar year-previous Uber driver who was also a Pakistani immigrant. Numerous studies this 7 days said that prosecutors were being anticipated to get to a plea settlement that would make certain the teens would not be tried as grownups and not provide prison time past the age of 21.
“It’s going to repeat,” Asif stated of this sort of incidents. “Very last calendar year was even worse, but it is heading to be worse this calendar year.”
The household is setting up to maintain a funeral for Ansari tomorrow at 1 p.m.