Deli employee beaten at Woodside Bodega, attacks on employees continue

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

According to a police report, on the evening of June 17, a man entered the bodega on Broadway in Woodside and attacked the clerk, punching him until he fell to the ground and then kicking him in the face. At one point, witnesses said, the attacker left the bodega but returned and kicked the victim in the face several times until he lost consciousness.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene and took the victim to a nearby hospital while the attacker fled the scene. The victim’s condition was critical but stable and he was later released.

His attack was one of several across the country.

In Texas, a customer armed with a 5-foot tree branch struck 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 tree branch that had been “carved” into a spear that Mercado estimated to be about 5 feet long.

At around 2 a.m., Mercado and his girlfriend were leaving the bar when the man hit Mercado several times on the head with the stick. Mercado said it was an unprovoked attack.

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

A video of the incident shows the attacker approaching an employee near the entrance and punching him in the face.

The attacker then calmly left the bar.

“I didn’t know what to do at that moment,” Mercado’s girlfriend Monnet told news agencies. “So I ran into the bar and screamed and begged everyone to help me.”

Police said the investigation and search for the suspect would continue.

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

LA police said they were searching for a group of people who allegedly attacked the employee on June 11 in the Encino neighborhood.

Video of the incident showed the store employee being attacked by three suspects, a woman and two men. The three entered the store and confronted another male store employee who was standing next to a female employee. Within a few seconds, the video showed one of the suspects punching the male employee before a struggle broke out between the two. A few seconds later, the video showed the victim being attacked by multiple suspects. At one point, a suspect threw a shopping rug at the victim.

Ralphs issued a statement regarding the incident.

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

And in Camdenton, Missouri, on June 28, a waitress was “thrown into the lake” after confronting a group of guests who were trying to encourage them to eat and dive.

Police say Liahna Bertels was working the late shift at the Fish and Company restaurant on Lake of the Ozarks when seven people at the table tried to avoid paying for their dinner. Bertels had previously refused to serve alcohol to one of the women, who did not have identification. The others at the table then ordered food, officials said.

When the meal took longer than expected because the kitchen was overloaded, Bertels tried to explain the situation and the group raised a fuss. Bertels offered to pack the group’s meals in to-go boxes. However, the group left the restaurant with their bill before paying for the food and made their way across a jetty to their boat.

As Bertels chased after the group with the bill, an altercation broke out and one of the group members grabbed her wrist. The waitress said the person then threw her into the lake.

“When I fell into the water, they started laughing and cheering, which really hurt,” Bertels said. “I was crying and howling in the water and didn’t know what to do.”

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

Officials said a man agreed to cooperate with police on July 2, even though he was not a suspect.

Sean Dolven, general manager of Fish and Company, said the restaurant has changed its policies regarding how waiters deal with hasty guests.

“We’re at the point now where if you want to track someone, you tell someone and take someone with you,” he said. “One way or another. That way there’s someone there who can see what’s going on, because sometimes the cameras don’t catch everything.”