In an announcement on Sunday, Jan. 26 at around 8 a.m., Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard denied any raids by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the area of Pizza King on Gramatan Avenue.
"Pizza King is closed due to Health Code Violations," Howard wrote, adding, "ICE did not snatch people from Gramatan Ave., 3rd, or anywhere else."
Patterson-Howard addressed the rumors some more in the comments section of her post:
"People would rather talk about nonsense not truth. If there was a sweep in Mount Vernon it would have been on ALL NEWS STATIONS.... I needed to clarify the issue."
The mayor also said she did not mean to "tear down Pizza King."
"They will address their code violations and move ahead," she said.
According to health inspection data from Thursday, Jan. 23, violations found included the presence of insects and rodents; floors, walls, and ceilings not smooth or properly constructed with dirty surfaces; food not protected during storage, preparation, or display; and littered premises, among other violations.
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