East Harlem bodega worker stabbed in neck over candy speaks out
Bodega worker speaks out after stabbing
A 24-year-old bodega worker who was stabbed in the neck with a screwdriver in East Harlem during his second day on the job is now speaking out. Police say the suspect, 43-year-old Ari Ortiz, a homeless man, has been charged with attempted murder and assault. FOX 5’s Linda Schmidt reports.
NEW YORK - Just days after being stabbed in the neck by a homeless man in a dispute over candy, an East Harlem Bodega worker is now speaking out about the incident.
What we know:
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at a bodega located at East 116th Street and Third Avenue.
The victim, 24-year-old Sidi Mohamed, was on his second day on the job when the stabbing occurred. According to Mohamed, it started over a disagreement.
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Mohamed says the suspect, 43-year-old Ari Ortiz, who is said to be homeless, did not pay the correct amount for some candy. When Mohamed asked him for the rest of the money, the man—who Mohamed says appeared to be high on drugs and/or emotionally unstable—attacked him with a screwdriver.
What they're saying:
"He's a crackhead," Mohamed said, describing the attack. "He just punched me."
Mohamed said that he ended up calling 9-1-1 himself before going after the suspect.
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"I just took my jacket off, I put it like this," Mohamed said, showing how he made a makeshift bandage with his coat. "And I walked outside, and he just left the store, and I called the cops."
What's next:
Ortiz was arrested on Thursday because he was known to the neighborhood.
Ortiz has been charged with attempted murder and assault. He remains in custody.
Mohamed, remarkably, has already returned to work at the bodega.
The Source: This story was written using information from FOX 5 reporters and crews in the field.