AUSTIN — The New Madina Market in North Austin mainly sells Middle Eastern food, but early Monday morning someone used an unknown object to smash the front glass door windows of the grocery store.
Surveillance footage caught the incident on camera at about 1 a.m.
“I’m very upset. And I’m scared – my life. You know, maybe they come in and my store is open and then they kill me because these people never trust. The same thing, the mosque, all of the people [are] upset there,” said Mohmad Kahn, owner of the New Madina Market.
This is the third reported act of vandalism against the Muslim community in Austin in the last few weeks. Police on Sept. 18 confirmed the incidents are connected and released photos in hopes of identifying a person of interest.
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The first came in early September when there was an attempted break-in at the North Austin Muslim Community Center. The second came just a few days ago when the mosque's van tires were slashed.
Kahn says he won't feel safe until the suspect is caught.
“Police try their best, you know, police have been working. And catch this guy soon, you know,” said Kahn.
The president of the mosque was at the grocery store Monday watching the surveillance footage with the owner. Both men believe the events are related.
“We can see the pattern now, the person was trying, going from the tires to smashing the windows. And god knows what may be the next thing that he wants to do,” said Altaf Khatri, president of the mosque.