NJ Woman Sold Dangerous Sanitizer In 7-Eleven, 4 Boys Burned: OAG

NEW JERSEY – A 47-year-old woman was charged with selling dangerous “spray sanitizer” at a 7-Eleven that reportedly burned four boys, the Office of Attorney General announced on Wednesday.

Manisha Bharade of Wood-Ridge was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and deceptive business practices, the OAG said.

At the same time, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that the Division of Consumer Affairs opened an investigation into the River Vale store’s practices since the emergence of the coronavirus outbreak.

Read more: Police Seize Spray Sanitizer Sold In NJ 7-Eleven After Boy Burned

The incident happened on Monday at approximately 8:13 p.m. when the River Vale Police Department responded to the 7-Eleven located at 207 Rivervale Road after receiving information from social media that four boys – three 10 year-olds and one 11 year- old – had been burned after using sanitizer purchased at the 7-Eleven, the OAG said.

The ensuing investigation revealed that Bharade had mixed commercially available foaming sanitizer, which was not meant for resale, with water and packaged it in aftermarket bottles to be sold at the 7-Eleven on Rivervale Road, the OAG said.

An apparent chemical reaction from the mixture caused the burns. Fourteen bottles in total were sold at the 7-Eleven, the OAG said.

Five bottles have been turned over to the River Vale Police Department and nine bottles are unaccounted for. Further analysis will be performed to determine the exact make-up of the chemical mixture.

The DCA also sent a letter to the store’s owners demanding that they preserve all records relating to the preparation and sale of the “spray sanitizer” seized by law enforcement, as well as the sale and advertisement of any health-related or sanitation- related products that the store began marketing or offering for sale after December 31, 2019, the first day that the government in Wuhan, China confirmed illnesses now known as COVID-19.

“Let me be perfectly clear: if you try to take advantage of our residents during a public health emergency, we will hold you accountable,” said Grewal. “Retailers who try to make a quick buck by exploiting others will face civil and criminal consequences.”

Anyone who purchased hand sanitizer from the River Vale 7-Eleven is asked to contact the River Vale Police Department at 201-664-1111.