Irate vendor chops store owner with frying pan

A Chinese national is now nursing a gash on her head after she was attacked and chopped with a frying pan by an irate street vendor, who accused her of hitting her child.

According to reports, on Tuesday afternoon, the child, whose mother sells items just outside the entrance to the Chinese woman's store in Montego Bay, went into the store, and was later observed pulling down items from a shelf. The owner, whose identity was not released by the police for security reasons, reportedly reprimanded the child and ushered her out of the store.

"After the child was put out of the store, she reportedly told her mother that the store owner had hit her," a police source told THE STAR. "The mother became angry and stormed into the store, where she confronted the owner." The store owner reportedly tried to explain what happened but the irate mother picked up a frying pan from a shelf and hit her on the head, causing a major wound. As blood spurted out of the store owner's head, the angry woman reportedly dropped the frying pan and fled. Efforts by the police to locate her have proven futile.

The incident has once again raised concerns about the re-emergence of vendors along certain streets since Operation Restore Pride, which was designed to keep them out of the Montego Bay business district, was relaxed ahead of the February 26 local government elections and never reinstated. Members of the business community, who are unhappy with the attack on their colleague, are calling on Montego Bay's mayor, Richard Vernon, to reactivate the initiative, which they say was working well. It was developed through an initiative by former commander of the St James police, Senior Superintendent Vernon Ellis, former mayor Leeroy Williams, and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.