JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Police are on the hunt to find two men accused of setting a Jacksonville business on fire, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is asking for help to find the suspects.
It happened a little over a week ago off Main Street in the North Shore area.
The business owner said he lost almost everything.
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“I mean it destroyed everything inside and I don’t understand why someone would do such a hateful crime like that,” the business owner said.
The J & H Auto Pro Detailing business owner didn’t want to share his name to protect his identity from the suspects.
While the building appears to be mostly intact, the contents of what was inside were destroyed.
The business owner said the suspects lit up his business and tried setting his house on fire too.
“I run a respectful business, and I’ve been here 12, almost 13 years. And I try to do good on everybody but someone to bring that to my front door – it’s personal,” the owner said.
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The crimes began on Nov. 23 when he woke up to find his window exploded and his porch with black charring. This, along with at least two broken bottles near his home. Police said they were “Molotov cocktails,” which is a makeshift crude bomb made from a bottle.
“I don’t understand, because I be on this corner every day, five days a week, especially with a 6-year-old child inside the home, so that kind of rubbed me the wrong way,” the owner said.
A couple days later, it happened again at his business off Main Street and Tallulah.
In hopes of getting more information on the suspects, JSO released a video, Monday afternoon, showing two men appearing to throw another Molotov Cocktail.
After a few attempts of throwing the object at the business, you could see an explosion.
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“Everything was destroyed,” the owner said. “I had to go – I mean everything is annihilated inside.”
Between the damage to his home and to his business, including the equipment inside, it’s about $25,000 worth of repairs.
He has been out of business since the fire, which means at least five of his employees have been out of work too. And now he is pleading for people to come forward.
“Let JSO know so we can get these people off the street man because this don’t make no sense at all,” the owner said.
JSO is still looking for the suspects. Detectives believe both fires are related and at least one of the suspects is involved in both.
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