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GREECE, NY — Theresa DiMarco has a short-term lease at the Mall at Greek Ridge for her business, Carousel Cookies. But after what happened this week, she’s ending it early.
After a fight broke out on Christmas Eve and then another disturbance the day after Christmas, DiMarco decided to end his lease early and close his business at the mall.
DiMarco took to social media to announce that Carousel Cookies would be leaving the mall effective December 31st.
Wilmorite, which owns the mall, is now requiring that anyone age 19 and under be accompanied by a parent or guardian until January 1.
News10NBC has learned police are investigating the fights that broke out on Christmas Eve. Greece Police Chief Michael Wood said his officers were now examining images circulating on social media of fights at the mall on Christmas Eve.
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News10NBC caught up with Theresa and her husband Steve DiMarco in their commercial kitchen where they bake their cookies. Their lease at the mall was supposed to last until January, but they decided to leave a month early.
They say what’s happening at the mall today is horrible and heartbreaking, and it’s not the same mall it was when they went there as kids.
“The biggest concern for me was employee safety,” Theresa said. “You know our employees – we don’t have young children working for us – I have mature women working for us, and honestly, I’m not going to subject them to that. They are my age; I’m not going to subject myself to it, so I’m certainly not going to subject them to it.
Looking to the future, she said: “I think as the winter progresses, it’s going to continue, especially on the weekends, to be a place to be afraid, not a place to go to feel safe.” have fun and walk around the mall. And I cannot, in good conscience, do that to my employees.”
His recommendation: “You have to have someone at that door, and if they’re not of age, if they’re not supposed to be there, you have to turn them away – the Galleria Mall (near Buffalo) does that . You just have to turn them down, you have to say, “you don’t have an adult with you, you don’t have a guardian with you, you don’t have a parent with you” — you can’t be here. “
The DiMarcos say mall security did their best to keep things safe and police did a good job when called during both disturbances.
And one shopper said that while he felt safe shopping at the mall, he was worried about his grandparents being there.
“I feel safe everywhere, to be honest with you, but I can’t say that about my 65-year-old grandfather wanting to go to the mall and buy something,” said shopper Frankie Antinetto.
Wilmorite sent the following statement to News10NBC:
“Wilmorite has NYS certified security teams at all of its properties, including Eastview, The Marketplace Mall, The Mall at Greek Ridge and Pittsford Plaza. The security team continually monitors the property for threats, including identifying individuals who have previously committed crimes or those who may pose a threat by violating the property’s rules and regulations.
When an individual commits a crime on propertyaction is taken immediately so that this doesn’t happen again. The individual is banned and arrested, and if they try to enter the property, they are arrested again.
Shopping centers have systems in place to identify individuals as they enter the property. If they have a history of misconduct or pose a threat, law enforcement is contacted immediately.
Both Eastview and The Mall at Greek Ridge have similar partnerships with law enforcement. The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office and Greek Police Department have a strong presence on scene and respond immediately to security calls. Both agencies have a positive track record of rapid response and rapid disaggregation of situations. Additionally, both mall properties are recruiting off-duty and retired law enforcement officers to the security team and increasing their staffing levels during peak hours.
“We have put numerous safeguards in place to tackle criminals and have seen a significant reduction in crime and bad behavior over the past year thanks to our proactive approach. We’re doing something about it! » – Al D’Agostino, vice president of security at Wilmorite
Greek Ridge Mall also has a curfew policy in place. Visitors under the age of 19 are not allowed on the property without an adult after 4:00 p.m., seven days a week. If anyone attempts to break these rules, law enforcement will remove them immediately. There has been a significant reduction in loitering and attempts by young people to enter the shopping center without an adult present over the past six months. Last Tuesday’s incident was an exception. The event was organized in advance and similar incidents occurred on the same day in other shopping centers across the country. The Greek police reacted quickly and quickly mitigated the situation. Their immediate response ensured the safety of shoppers and employees. There were no thefts, vandalism or serious injuries that evening. This incident is not a reflection on safety at the mall.“
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The News10NBC team breaks down the latest news, traffic and weather.