Owner of Torched Kenosha Business Rails Against Officials: 'Nobody Did Nothing About It'

Amid the charred wreckage of his family’s business and dreams, a Kenosha man is calling for more protections for small businesses as riots rage out of control across the nation.

Anmol Khindri is a member of the family that owns Car Source, a used car dealership that was all but destroyed after two nights of arson and vandalism left the business suffering a loss he estimated at $2.5 million, according to the Kenosha News.

Rioting began in Wisconsin last Sunday after Jacob Blake, 29, was shot by police trying to detain him. Mobs began rampaging through downtown Kenosha, vandalizing and torching buildings.

“It was a terrifying time,” said Josie Rodriguez, who lives near the dealership. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, they’re coming here.”

After she called 911, she watched the lot as rioters lit fires, then caused an explosion and more cars to light on fire.

“I’m talking flames licking the sky. They were so big. And you hear, ‘boom, boom, boom’ — explosion, after explosion, after explosion,” she said.

After calling 911 again and being told the area was too dangerous for firefighters, she left.

Social media videos chronicled what happened as a family’s business went up in flames.

Khindri said that attitude typified the response.

“Everybody watched it burn to ashes,” he said. “Nobody did nothing about it — nothing.”

Sunday night’s rioting cost the dealership about $1.5 million in damage, Khindri said, with another $1 million in damage coming during the Monday rioting that hit the business again.

As his family’s ruined business stands in the wreckage of a ravaged downtown and damaged community, Khindri said he is not sure what comes next.

“I have a family to feed. I have 20 other families who have worked for this business over the last eight or nine years,” he said.

Government, he said, needs to do more than shrug.

“It’s easy for the government to say ‘Alright, guys, you’re on your own. I’m sorry, your insurance doesn’t cover it. Oh, I’m sorry for your loss.’ No, that’s not an answer. This happened because they let it happen.”

Rodriguez said that expressions of unity are fine, but substantial action is also needed because ” the damage is done, and the trauma is horrific.”