Queens bodega worker won’t be prosecuted in fatal stabbing

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) – A Queens bodega worker who allegedly fatally stabbed a customer during an argument over stolen beer will not be prosecuted, according to the United Bodegas of America.

A spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney could not confirm whether the office will prosecute the bodega worker, who the United Bodegas of America has identified as a 21-year-old.

“We are certain [the worker] did not intend to kill this man over a beer. Self-defense is most likely what took place. Bodegas workers get attacked/assaulted when they try and reclaim stolen property from their bodegas,” said Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for UBWA.

The violence started Tuesday around 12:35 a.m. when a customer tried to steal beer from a mini-mart at 97-02 Queens Blvd., sources told PIX11. The employee and the 21-year-old customer first argued in the store but things escalated onto the street, surveillance camera footage shows.

A trail of blood led police to the 21-year-old customer, who had been stabbed in the chest, according to the NYPD. He was rushed to an area hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

The employee was taken into custody , sources told PIX11.

“[The employee] is a good kid with no criminal record and working very hard like most Bodega clerks defending his business from looters, it could have been my son who is 21 and works as a clerk in my bodega,” said Radahmes Rodriguez, President of UBA.

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter .

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