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Supermarket owner who accused teenage sisters of stealing from her IGA is threatened, pepper-sprayed and racially abused
- IGA owner in East Perth assaulted by teenage thieves
- Sarah Wang was also pepper sprayed by the two sisters.
- One of them called Ms. Wang an ‘Asian mongrel’ after leaving.
- They are charged with aggravated armed robbery.
A supermarket owner got pepper spray all over his face before being threatened and racially abused after confronting two sisters over an alleged shoplifting incident.
Sarah Wang, owner of Ashfield IGA in Perth’s eastern suburbs, said the violent altercation started when she approached the two girls on Monday.
Ms. Wang was allegedly assaulted and verbally abused by the two sisters, ages 13 and 14, after she and another staff member asked them to return items they had been accused of stealing.
Western Australia Police allege the teenagers, from Gosnells, south of Perth, attempted to steal food, drinks and toiletries by hiding them under their clothing before Wang intervened.
Footage of the incident shows one of the sisters attempting to hit Ms. Wang, while the other fired pepper spray at the store owner.
East Perth IGA owner Sarah Wang (pictured) has been threatened, pepper-sprayed and racially abused after confronting teenage sisters shoplifting on Monday.
“I knew I was about to spray something, so I stepped back and held my breath, but I still choked,” Wang said. WA today.
‘It’s not worth it, the violence, for $17.’
The girls were escorted out of the store after the incident, but not before the teens allegedly yelled racial slurs at Ms. Wang, calling her an “Asian bitch” and threatening to “tear down” her store.
Ms. Wang stated that she has around three or four encounters with suspected shoplifters every day.
However, the police warned Ms. Wang that confronting the buyers is not worth risking her safety.
“They walk into the store as if it were their home pantry,” he said.
The two sisters, aged 13 and 14, from nearby Gosnell, were charged with aggravated armed robbery and released on bail (pictured, one of the teenagers trying to beat up Ms Wang)
Both women were arrested and charged with aggravated armed robbery on Tuesday and appeared before Perth Children’s Court on Wednesday, where they were both released on bail.
The magistrate rebuked officers during the hearing for keeping the sisters locked up overnight, claiming police had not done enough to contact a guardian.
“It is unacceptable that this has happened, can the state investigate that please?” Magistrate Alana Padmanabham said.
Wang said she was worried for his safety.
“When he left, he said I’m going to vandalize your store, so of course I’m worried,” Wang told 9News.
‘I don’t know, I wish the law or whatever could do better.’