CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Hispanic community in Mecklenburg County has felt the impact of recent immigration arrests.

  • One bakery owner says he's lost thousands in sales after customers failed to show up
  • He is shocked by the amount of people who have supported them
  • Newly elected sheriff Garry McFadden signed the paper work getting rid of 287g at his bakery

One Hispanic bakery owner in east Charlotte says he's lost thousands in sales after customers failed to show up, scared to leave their homes.

“My sales went down almost 60 percent, and my regular customers didn't come on Wednesday evening and yesterday morning, same thing, my customers didn’t' come,” owner of Manolo's Bakery, Manolo Betacur, said. “Creating chaos and fear, over this side of town, people don't want to go out [and leave the house]."

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Betancur posted a picture of his barren parking lot Thursday evening, tagging every elected official in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, asking the community if they care about east Charlotte to come support local businesses.

“I called the other business owners that I know, here on Central Avenue. ‘How was business last night? How is business right now?’ Man bad, bad, bad, bad,” he said.

He says he's lost thousands in just the last 48 hours. He says he was supposed to have 30-40 cake orders. He now has eight.

Manolo's Facebook post reached Lake Norman and this customer drove in from Cornelius.

“Yes, and we've done business prior to this crisis and we'll continue to go ahead and help support small business,” customer Dave Hunt said.

Betancur says he is amazed by the amount of people who have supported them, but he says he hasn’t seen any local officials. Newly elected sheriff Garry McFadden signed the paper work getting rid of 287g at his bakery on his first day in office.

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“When they were running for office, all of them came here to the bakery when they need the Latino vote, they keep forgetting there are 25,000 Latinos in Mecklenburg County who can vote,” he said.

 

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