Southwest Miami-Dade beauty supply store vandalized before grand opening – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Owners of a Southwest Miami-Dade beauty supply store are devasted after their store was vandalized in an arson attack days before its opening.

The Grand Lash House located at 9712 SW 40TH ST was set on fire Thursday night by two men.

Surveillance video shows two men circling the business on a motorcycle. They disappear and come back on foot but this time smash the windows, pour accelerant inside the building, and then set it on fire.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to neighboring businesses.

Indira Ortega, who owns the beauty supply store with her husband Alex Ortega, said this arson attack has crushed her dreams.

“I started crying, my first reaction is ‘This was my dream,’” she said. “I’d been dreaming about this for eight years.”

Indira received a phone call in the middle of the night that her beauty supply store, which was set to open on May 5, was gutted by flames.

Alex, after watching the video of the arson attack, said he hopes whoever is responsible for this gets “what they deserve.”

“I hope the weight of the law comes down on them,” he said.

Indira believes this act of vandalism was done intentionally.

“The person who did this, he did it on purpose,” she said. “He knows that the place was about to open on May 5. He did it on purpose.”

Indira and Alex spent much of Thursday gutting the store, cleaning the ash off the walls, and doing their best to salvage what they have left.

“There is no way to save it,” said Indira. “Like we have to repaint it, we have to do a lot of things, put a lot of chemical products here to take the smell.”

The couple said tens of thousands of dollars put into their dream business are now gone. They hope to get their business back on track but want the people behind the arson attack caught.

“We put everything into this business, savings, loans, a lot of money into this place, and now we have to start building everything up again,” said Indira.

Indira and Alex have set up a GoFundMe asking for help for repair costs adding up to $30,000. If you would like to donate click here.

If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

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