By Marlyn Montilla
02 Jun 2024, 11:27 AM EDT
A criminal caused a wave of violence in Midtown on Saturday after stabbing and seriously injuring a young Duane Reade security guard and also threatening another person, authorities reported.
The 21-year-old security guard tried to stop the alleged thief who was robbing a pharmacy located on the corner of West 53rd and 8th Avenue, police sources said.
In an instant, the offender pulled out a knife and stabbed the security guard in the arm and left side of the torso, officials explained.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers arrived at the violent scene shortly before 4:00 p.m.
The attack on the young vigilante left area residents shocked, the New York Post reported.
“I feel worried and scared. The city has changed a lot. We have to watch our backs in stores and on the subway,” said Ermal Gura, 35, of Staten Island, who noted that because of the increase in violence in stores everyone has to “call customer service only to buy shampoo.”
The suspect was found several blocks from the store with the knife among his belongings, police sources said.
The 21-year-old was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital in serious condition, the NYPD said.
Likewise, police sources stated that the subject was armed with the knife and was in the Midtown North district.
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