Deli Worker Beaten Inside Woodside Bodega as Attacks on Employees Continue

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A 62-year-old worker is recovering after being beaten inside a corner deli in Woodside, one of several attacks on workers over the past few weeks.

Police said that on the night of June 17, a man walked into the bodega on Broadway in Woodside, and attacked the employee, punching him until he fell to the floor, and then kicking him in the face once he fell. At one point, witnesses said, the attacker left the bodega only to return to kick the victim in the face several more times until he lost consciousness.

First responders came to the crime scene and rushed the victim to a nearby hospital while the attacker fled the scene. The victim was listed in critical but stable condition and later released.

His attack was one of several across the country.

In Texas, a customer, armed with a 5-foot tall tree branch, punched an employee and attacked another customer.

Adam Mercado said on social media that he and his girlfriend Taylor Monnet were at the City Tavern in Dallas on Friday, June 21. Mercado said she noticed a man holding a branch that had been “whittled” into a spear that Mercado estimated to be about 5 feet long.

Around 2 am., Mercado and his girlfriend started to leave the bar when the man then struck Mercado across the head with the stick several times in what Mercado said was an unprovoked attack.

“The sheer force of the swing was enough to shatter said branch in half, sending shards of splinters onto those nearby,” Mercado said on social media. “The thunderous sound was so loud it truly resembled a gunshot, sending a shockwave of panic across the patio patrons.”

Video of the incident showed the attacker turn on an employee near the entrance, and punch him in the face.

The attacker then calmly walked away from the bar.

“I didn’t know what to do in that instance,” Mercado’s girlfriend, Monnet, told news outlets. “So I’m running into the bar, and I’m screaming, just begging for help from anyone.”

Police said they are continuing to investigate and search for the suspect.

In Los Angeles, a Ralphs employee was attacked after stopping an alleged shoplifter.

Police in LA said they are searching for a group of people who allegedly assaulted the employee in the Encino neighborhood on June 11.

Video of the event showed that the store employee was attacked by three suspects, one woman and two men. The three walked into the store and confronted another male store employee standing near a female employee. Within seconds, the video showed, one of the suspects threw a punch at the male employee before a fight between the two broke out. A few seconds later the video showed the victim being attacked by multiple suspects. At one point, a suspect shoved a shopping carpet into the victim.

Ralphs issued a statement about the incident.

“We are deeply saddened by a senseless act of violence that took place at our store at our Ralphs in Encino, yesterday. Safety remains one of our core values and is top priority. We are working in full cooperation with local law enforcement to support their ongoing investigation and identifying the suspect(s),” the statement read.

And in Camdenton, Missouri on June 28, a waitress was “dumped in the lake” after she confronted a group of customers trying to dine and dive.

Police said Liahna Bertels was working the late-shift at Lake of the Ozarks restaurant Fish and Company when a table of seven tried to skip out on paying for their dinner. Bertels had earlier refused to serve the table alcohol to one of the women who didn’t have any ID. The table had gone ahead and ordered food, officials said.

When the food took longer than expected because the kitchen was overwhelmed, Bertels tried to explain the situation, and the party started a fuss. Bertels offered to put the group’s meals in to-go boxes. However, the group left with their bill before paying for the food, and took off down a dock to their boat.

When Bertels chased the group down with their bill, a confrontation ensued and one of the group grabbed her by the wrist. The waitress said the person then threw her into the lake.

“When I hit the water, they decided to start laughing and cheering, which really hurt,” Bertels said. “I was crying and bawling in the water and I didn’t know what to do.”

Bertels was in the water for about 10 minutes. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the incident as a misdemeanor assault.

Officials said one man came forward to cooperate with the police on July 2, even though he is not a suspect.

Fish and Company’s General Manager, Sean Dolven, said the restaurant has changed their policies in regard to how servers handle dashing diners.

“We’ve kind of got it now to where if you’re going to chase somebody down, let somebody know and take somebody with you,” he said. “Either way. That way there’s somebody there that can see what’s going on because sometimes the cameras don’t catch everything.”

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