A deli worker in upscale Gramercy has been charged with a felony after allegedly flinging a knife at an “aggressive” intruder in his shop last week. The store’s co‑owner maintains that the employee was merely “trying to protect the business.”
Mahmoud Bourada, 34, was at the Heavenly Market on Third Avenue near East 23rd Street around 11 p.m. on Tuesday when he began a confrontation with another 34‑year‑old man he told to leave the premises. In the ensuing tussle, the knife sliced the visitor’s left hand. The victim, who was uncooperative with authorities and declined medical attention, is said to have been left on the ground before police arrived.
According to a criminal complaint, Bourada was taken into custody and faces first‑degree attempted assault and second‑degree assault charges. He was cuffed and transported to the precinct, where his phone remained on the floor. He was eventually released on his own recognizance after the court denied prosecutors’ request for a $5,000 cash bail or a $15,000 bond.
Ahmed Saleh, 24, who runs the deli with his father and brothers—family members who emigrated from Yemen two decades ago—described Bourada as a good man who needed a job. “We’re working hard for everything because it’s a family business and nothing was given, so we have to protect that at all costs,” Saleh told reporters. “That’s what my employee was trying to do. He’s a good man. He was trying to protect the business so that he can have a job.”
Saleh recalled that enough minutes before the exchange, Bourada had called him “panicking” after noticing the intruder’s aggressive behavior. Saleh said he told Bourada to stay calm and that he would call the police, but the latter said the offender had already left. By the time the owner arrived, Bourada was already detained. Saleh tried to retrieve the employee’s phone, but officers declined to release it, arguing that Bourada should not be kept in custody during Thanksgiving when he couldn’t bring food home for his family.
In the days leading up to the incident, a cook and three other employees had resigned, citing increased crime in the neighborhood. Saleh said the decline began about a year and a half ago when a shelter opened across the block. He complained that constant theft and aggressive “free‑stuff” demands have devastated the shop’s profits, putting the staff at risk of losing their livelihoods. “This area was beautiful,” he said. “Now it’s always screaming outside. They’re demanding free stuff, begging for change, and if they don’t get what they want, it turns into trouble. It’s like we work for them.”
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
