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A stolen vehicle crashed into Furniture Mattress Depot on Northside, igniting a fire. The owner is now working to recover and continue serving the community.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Northside business owner faces a daunting challenge after a stolen car plowed into his establishment, igniting a blaze on Sunday morning.
It was 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning when Fawzy Khalil got the call. His store, Furniture Mattress Depot, was on fire.
“When I arrived, I found a car lodged inside my shop,” recounted Khalil. “It’s terrifying to see a vehicle in your store surrounded by firefighters and police amidst all the chaos.”
Khalil explained that according to police, the crash involved a stolen car. Surveillance footage from a nearby store shows the moment of impact, followed by three individuals fleeing the scene.
A fire quickly spread, destroying merchandise and damaging the building. A lot of the furniture was damaged by water after crews put out the fire.
“Many sofas are drenched with water,” he explained. “Once water soaks into the foam, it absorbs and retains moisture, leading to a foul odor.”
Six truckloads of burned and soaked furniture had to be thrown away.
“I survived for 15 years, but I don’t know about this accident,” said Khalil, “A really big loss, big loss.”
For 15 years, Fawzy Khalil built this store from the ground up.
“I’m still here because I’ve served loyal customers for 15 years, including entire families who consistently purchase mattresses and furniture,” he added.
Even with no electricity and a damaged storefront, he’s still doing what he can to serve his community and loyal customers. Now he’s hoping they’ll stand by him in his time of need.
“I need customers, that’s all. If I get more customers, I’ll be happy,” said Khalil.
Right now, Khalil doesn’t know how much he’ll pay for all the repairs. He told me he does not have insurance.
His main focus right now is getting his power back on, fixing this front window panel and getting this column repaired.
Monday afternoon First Coast News reached out to JSO to find out a description of the three suspects who fled the scene Sunday. We’ve still not heard back from them at this time, as soon as we receive information, we’ll update you.
