Man arrested after Canesa deli owner stabbed outside Clayton store –

CLAYTON, CA (June 29, 2024) – John Canesa is recovering after being stabbed outside his downtown deli around 1 p.m. on June 25.

According to his wife, Priscilla, Canesa was stabbed six times outside Canesa’s Brooklyn Heroes in Town Center at the corner of Oak and Main St. When police arrived, they arrested 45-year-old Peter Kerns of Concord. Emergency responders took Canesa, who was in his right mind, to John Muir Medical Center.

Priscilla said Kerns, a customer at the time, began behaving erratically and confronting employees and customers. Eventually, Canesa left his deli and got into an argument with Kerns.

Priscilla admits the scene took a personal turn when Kerns verbally attacked her teenage daughter. “The customer was very aggressive and hostile toward my daughter Gianna, who was taking orders at the window,” she said.

Priscilla says Kerns caused a great deal of disturbance and was a nuisance to everyone in the area. “He also yelled at John in the deli and intentionally disrupted our customers and our business,” she added, noting that Kerns’ actions created a tense moment for everyone involved.

The incident culminated in an altercation in which 44-year-old Canesa was stabbed to death.

Although Canesa was reportedly awake and able to speak when he was taken to the hospital, his wife told the Pioneer two days after the incident that he was still “not in a state to talk about the matter.”

A search of public records revealed that Kerns had been arrested at least once before, but provided no information about what led to his arrest at that time.

Canesa’s Brooklyn Heros moved from Concord to its Main St. location in 2012. The deli is closed until July 2 while Canesa recovers. They will return to normal hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Vince Martellacci

Vince Martellacci is a relatively new Clayton resident who enjoys spending time downtown and in Concord. When he’s not writing, he represents musicians throughout the Bay Area in the media. Contact him at [email protected].