'Broke his jaw:' Man in his 70s attacked while trying to protect burning Kenosha mattress store

Businesses destroyed in Kenosha

Businesses have been destroyed in Kenosha and workers from those businesses are trying to understand what comes next.

KENOSHA, Wis. - A man was injured after attempting to protect a Kenosha mattress store before it burned down during violent protests Monday night, Aug. 24, a day after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The man in his 70s was hurt while trying to stop people from burning the building down, but fire leveled the building and the longtime owners are angry and emotional.

Pamela Moniz and her husband, Keith McCoy, watched as the building burned.

"Is there words for it?" asked Keith. "The picture should say it all."

The couple said their co-worker attempted to protect the building.

"He was trying to chase them off with a fire extinguisher," said Pamela.

Moniz said the man was assaulted in the process.

"They broke his jaw," she said. "Lacerations to his head."

The couple said their co-worker will recover, just as they plan to in these times of tension.

"I can't wrap my head around the scene right now," said Pamela. "I don't think anyone from Kenosha was responsible for this."

The man being attacked was caught on camera. FOX6 News reached out to Kenosha police for information on arrests and the investigation, but haven't heard back.

The mattress store owners said they want to open up again in another part of town.

Kenosha fire officials said 37 fires, combined with "emergency medical services for numerous accidents, assaults and injuries with traumas of varying degrees, including a shooting" were "resource-intensive." A police officer was hit with a mortar round and some firefighters were treated for dehydration and over-exertion. There were multiple calls for traumatic injuries and multiple civilians with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.