NYC business owner: State inspectors unfairly targeted closed store for alleged coronavirus violations - Fox News

NYC business owner Odette Rishty tells 'Fox & Friends' residents in her 'red zone' Brooklyn neighborhood are going to other zip codes to do business.

New York City business owner Odette Rishty says her Brooklyn gift shop was unfairly targeted by New York State inspectors for alleged COVID-19 violations, telling “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that she received a summons even though her store was closed to customers.

Odette Rishty, who owns the store “It’s All a Gift” with her husband, also pointed out that residents in her “red zone” Brooklyn neighborhood are going to other zip codes to do business.

Certain schools and businesses in parts of Brooklyn and Queens, areas the state has deemed “red zones,” have been shuttered amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in New York City.

Host Brian Kilmeade noted that city inspectors came to her store and “had no problem,” yet state inspectors did and issued a summons, arguing the store was open and “fully operational.”.

She said that state inspectors are “basically claiming that we’re open with our gates down and us inside.”.

“They can’t get in because there’s a lock on the door, it says, ‘Please just call us and we’ll take care of whatever you need by delivering it or shipping it,’” Rishty explained, adding that is what the state inspectors “saw on the doors” of her store when they showed up.

“They [state inspectors] don’t want anyone inside and across the street there is a bodega with people going in and out,” Rishty said.

Rishty said she is working with her city councilman to appeal the summons from the state.