Brooklyn Deli Worker Stabbed to Death Over Loose Cigarettes

Tragic Loss at Brooklyn Bodega

• 💔 Colleagues are mourning the death of Diego Sandival Nava, a bodega employee fatally stabbed on Friday.
• 📌 The attack occurred at the corner of Hegaman and Vanich avenues while Nava was working behind the counter.

The Incident and Suspect

• ❓ The suspect entered the store asking for loose cigarettes, which Nava stated they did not have.
• 🔪 After leaving, the suspect returned, scaled the counter, and stabbed Nava multiple times in the stomach, according to witnesses.
• 🚨 The search for the suspect is ongoing, and co-workers express fear due to the suspect still being at large.

Victim's Background and Impact

• 🇲🇽 Nava, who had been in the US for approximately 6 years, has two children and family in Mexico.
• 💬 Co-workers remember him as a cool, respectful person who was working hard to support his family.
• 🥪 Customers recall him making the best sandwiches, highlighting his positive impact on the community.

Community Response and Safety Measures

• 😔 The store closed early on Saturday as colleagues processed the tragic loss.
• 🚨 United Bodegas of America plans to install 500 panic buttons in bodegas across the city, with hopes for additional funding for more.
• 🗣️ Fernando Mateo of United Bodegas of America is seeking state funding to increase the number of panic buttons beyond the initial 500.