Bodega worker choked unconscious in vicious robbery on Staten Island

NEW YORK - A bodega worker is recovering after a vicious assault on Staten Island. Police are asking for the public's help finding the assailant.

The 54-year-old man was working on Tuesday at about 5 a.m. at the store at Y&R Deli & Grocery on Victory Boulevard in the Tompkinsville section when the suspect approached him behind the counter and suddenly struck him with a glass bottle multiple times, said police. 

The suspect threw the man to the ground as he put up a fight. The victim was then choked until he passed out, according to the NYPD.  The attacker then took off with $2,000 from the cash register.

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When the victim came to, he called for help. EMS responded and took him to Richmond University Medical Center in stable condition. He suffered multiple cuts to his head.

Violence at bodegas in New York City has seen a very sudden spike in the last week. Five bodegas in the Bronx were robbed since last Wednesday, and store owners say they're fed up.

"This is crazy!" said Francisco Marte, founder of the Small Business and Bodega Association. "This is something that is out of control."

Marte said more police are needed, including a return of stop and frisk, and says District Attorneys need to crack down on crime.

The NYPD has released a video of the assault and a photo of the suspect in the Staten Island attack.

If you know anything about the incident that could help cops track the suspect, contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), online at the Crime Stoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips.  Police say that all calls are confidential.