Deli Worker Stabbed to Death After Dispute with a Customer: He Was 'Just Trying to Make a Living'

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An employee of a deli in East Harlem, New York, was stabbed to death after allegedly getting into an argument with a customer, according to police.

On Tuesday evening, around 11:30 p.m. local time, Ahmed Almulaiki was working inside a deli in the New York neighborhood when another man — who has not yet been located and identified — entered the store, Detective Annette Shelton of The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI) tells PEOPLE.

According to theNew York Daily News, the suspect was a “frequent disorderly customer” known around the area, who became upset after he was denied a 50 cent credit to buy cigarettes.

After Almulaiki, 34, got into a dispute with the patron inside the establishment, the ordeal then continued outside of the store, where the suspect allegedly “stabbed the victim in the torso with an unknown object,” per Shelton.

“This guy is working hard to feed his family,” an unnamed relative of the deceased toldABC 7. “He’s just trying to make a living. Who are you to stab him?”

Police also told theDaily Newsthat Almulaiki’s cousin, Zakaria Hussein, was also involved in the alleged altercation, had been stabbed in his left eye. Hussein, 21, the outlet added, was treated at a local hospital and is expected to recover.

Police added that it is not currently known if any property was stolen during the occurrence and the investigation remains ongoing. Almulaiki’s family has been notified of his death.

source: people.com