US man stabbed bakery owners over sandwich bought years ago, police say
Brothers Abed and Mohammed Assad were attacked at their store in Paterson on 31 July after the disgruntled customer complained that the sandwich they served him made him ill, according to Moneer Simrin, a friend of the victims.
Simrin told WABC TV that the assailant launched into a tirade at Mohammed Assad over being given an eggplant sandwich instead of the egg sandwich he ordered four years ago.
'He told him, 'You give me eggplant in my sandwich and then my stomach was bothering me' and stuff like that,' he said.
'They told him: 'OK, we'll give you the money, we'll give you credit, whatever you want,' but he start[ed] cursing. They try to tell him, 'OK, just get out, please, get out from the store,' and he pulled a knife.'
The man then allegedly stabbed Mohammed in the chest, and slashed Abed on his arm when he stepped in to help his brother. The victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Witnesses heard screaming from inside the bakery and saw one of the victims outside clutching his bloody arm, according to the local news outlet Pix11.com.
'What happened surprised everyone because they are very nice people,' the witness, a worker in an adjacent building, told the outlet.
The bakery was closed over the weekend, with calls seeking comment going unanswered.
Rob Rowan, public information officer for the Paterson police department, confirmed details of Thursday morning's attack in a statement, adding that the knifeman had not been identified and was still at large.
'Officers responded to Baladna Bakery on reports of a stabbing,' he said. 'They saw both victims being treated for lacerations made by a sharp instrument. The victim stated an altercation began between a customer and the victims with the customer unhappy about a purchase at the store.'
Rowan said the department's major crimes unit was investigating.
Incidents of extreme violence in disputes over the serving of food have become increasingly common in the US in recent years.
In 2019, a man was stabbed to death at a Maryland Popeyes restaurant in a fight over line cutting among customers eager to try the company's new chicken sandwich.
In May, a Checkers employee in Kissimmee, Florida, was accused of shooting and killing a customer who complained that sachets of mayonnaise were missing from his order.
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