NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The NYPD is investigating the fatal stabbing of a deli worker in East Harlem by a customer who allegedly became enraged over the price of an item late Tuesday night.
Authorities said officers responded to a 911 call of a robbery in progress at a deli located at 1980 Second Avenue around 11:40 p.m.
Upon arrival, the officers discovered a 34-year-old man with a stab wound to his torso in front of the deli.
The victim was later identified as Ahmed Almulaiki, an employee of the deli. He was transported to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation determined that Almulaiki got into a dispute with a male customer who was enraged because he was 50 cents short for his purchase, a police spokesperson said.
According to the NYPD, the dispute escalated and spilled outside the deli where the customer stabbed Almulaiki in the torso with an unknown object.
The man then fled the location heading eastbound on East 102nd Street.
It remains unclear if any property was stolen from the deli.
The suspect is described as a light-skinned male, approximately 30 to 40 years of age, 180 to 190 pounds with a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a black hooded jacket, black pants and black boots.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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