Surveillance footage appears to show multiple female assailants beating a New York City cashier on Sunday, allegedly in retaliation for an earlier dispute.
According to the video obtained by the New York Post, Lisbel Rodriguez Luna, a cashier at Food Universe in the Fordham Manor neighborhood of the Bronx was savagely beaten by multiple women.
Luna told the New York Post she had had a disagreement with one of the women on a previous day, explaining that the woman had cut in line when exchanging recyclables for cash.
Luna said she asked the woman if it was her turn in line and alleges the woman threatened, “I’m going to kick your [expletive]. I’m going to [expletive] kill you. I’m going to bring my daughters and we’re all going to kick your [expletive]!”
Jose Minaya, the store’s manager told the Post that on the day of the alleged attack, he first attempted to defuse the situation by talking to the woman outside.
He said he also briefly attempted to hide Luna behind the deli counter, but the woman didn’t leave, per the Post:
“But the woman waited outside,” Minaya said Monday. “You can see her here in the video waiting outside, calling her daughters and then her daughters came. It was three daughters and another older woman, so there were five of them all together.”
The footage appears to show the women entering the store and repeatedly hitting Luna and pulling her hair as the cashier’s coworkers attempted to fend them off.
Citing a New York Police Department spokesperson, the Post reported the police were called around 1:15 p.m.
Pedro Goico, the store’s owner, expressed outrage over the violent episode and has reportedly called on policymakers to address the problem of violence against grocery store employees, Fox 5 reported.
“They could have killed her. You never know what the intentions were,” he said, per Fox5.
News 12 reported the advocacy group Collective Action to Protect Our Stores has offered a $2,500 reward for information about the suspects.
Pedro Goico is also offering a reward, saying, “enough is enough – we need action,” per News 12.
Police are still investigating and are looking for two suspects, per Fox 5.