'It's just gone:' Businesses along Brown Deer Road looted, owner believes it wasn't about a protest

Julie Cawthorn

MILWAUKEE -- Looters hit a strip of businesses on Brown Deer Road early Monday, June 1 -- and one of the owners believes this wasn't about any protest. This, after groups have taken to the streets of Milwaukee and beyond to rally against the officer-involved death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis.

Kiss and Makeup Beauty is a new small business in Milwaukee -- one that has already seen challenges.

"Well, we're supposed to open the store in March, but of course, the pandemic hit, so we were never able to open," said Julie Cawthorn, Kiss and Makeup Beauty owner.

It's open now, but Cawthorn noted some empty spaces in her inventory after $7,000 worth of hair extensions were stolen early Monday.

"It hurts really bad -- and all the blood, sweat and tears that we've put into this store, and then get inventory in, and it's just gone," said Cawthorn.

Cawthorn said most of the store was left untouched. The thieves went straight for her most expensive products. They broke in through the back door.

Despite security cameras, she didn't capture any footage. The looters cut power to the building.

"It's definitely looting. It's criminal. It's not protesting. It's just people being greedy and being malicious. It's horrible," said Cawthorn.

Cawthorn said the people that are doing things like this are losing sight of the point of the unrest across the country.

"We worked so hard, these small businesses to, you know, make it," said Cawthorn. "hey have no regards for anything. They claim it's racial, but how is it racial, also, because they are breaking into black businesses. They don't care who it is. They just want to take what they want to take."

The sporting goods shop next door was also broken into. The front door was boarded up on Tuesday.

FOX6 News reached out to Milwaukee police to find out if any arrests have been made -- but have not heard back.