The fight between two Mount Vernon businesses and Mayor Richard Thomas ramped up Sunday as one of the stores was shut down for a second time.
OK Freddy's Meat Market on South Fourth Avenue and the Mega Beverage Redemption on East Third were both shut down over a week ago. The owners insist they were shut down for minor violations, including lack of carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.
OK Freddy's reopened on Friday, after the owner claimed the mayor illegally shut down the shop. The case went to court and a judge ordered locks on the shop's doors removed so that repairs could be carried out.
But Mayor Thomas says it was business as usual at the shop over the weekend, so it was shut down again on Sunday. The city changed the locks on the business' doors and pulled down its shutters.
The city says the business is ignoring building violations. Owner Estrado Willis, also known as Freddy, says he never received any.
According to Mayor Thomas, the shop is registered as a meat market but is selling all types of items, including cellphones.