New surveillance video captured the moment an arsonist targeted Kendall’s eyelash store and the storefront was completely engulfed in flames.
The incident occurred early Thursday morning at the Grand Rush House on the corner of Byrd Road and SW 97th Street in Kendall.
Video revealed key moments before the fire, showing two men inspecting the premises before returning with stones and breaking glass.
Store owner Indira Ortega told NBC6 that they then doused the building with gasoline and set it on fire, completely destroying everything she had worked so hard to build.
Ortega said the store was scheduled to have a grand opening on May 5, but plans fell through and it is now boarded up.
“The damage was really, really bad,” Ortega said. “The ceiling fell in, the floors were all burnt, there was water under the tiles, so everything was a mess.”
Ortega told NBC6 that her husband’s former co-worker spotted the blaze in the middle of the night and called them to come to the scene.
“I’m a good person,” Ortega said. “I don’t have any enemies and I haven’t done anything wrong to anyone, so I don’t understand why they did this.”
The fire caused about $45,000 in damage, Ortega said.
Video showed flames quickly spreading through the store before the suspects fled on scooters.
Despite the disaster, Ortega says he won’t give up on his plans to open a business.
By the time she arrived at the business, firefighters had already extinguished the fire.
“We have clues as to who did this, but the investigation is ongoing,” Ortega said. “I can’t say anything, but yes, there are people in this business who could have done something like this.”
Ortega is currently facing a significant financial burden while rebuilding and is currently asking for help from the community through GoFundMe.
Miami-Dade police are investigating.
