Bodega worker Jose Alba, 61, who fatally stabbed an ex-convict in self-defense while on the job, is reportedly leaving New York for good after dropping a murder charge.
The manager of the Blue Moon convenience store in Manhattan, where the fight took place, he said The New York Post that Alba planned to return to Santiago, where he originally hails from in the Dominican Republic.
On July 1, while Alba was working, Austin Simon, 35, an ex-convict, came from behind the counter and attacked the bodega worker, slamming him into the wall and knocking him to the floor. Simon’s girlfriend had previously fallen out with Alba after she couldn’t pay for a bag of chips.
As Alba was being attacked, he grabbed a knife and fatally stabbed Simon in self-defense.
61-year-old bodega worker Jose Alba was attacked by enraged career criminal Austin Simon, who went behind the counter and choked him over a bag of crisps. Alba defended himself and Simon died. DA Alvin Bragg has charged him with murder. pic.twitter.com/FIfL1O1q7X
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 7, 2022
After the altercation, Alba was charged with second-degree murder and sent to Rikers Island Jail on $250,000 bail.
Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg initially refused to dismiss the murder charge, even after public criticism, including from Mayor Eric Adams (D), who said Alba was acting in self-defense.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Alba was released from Rikers after Alba’s attorney and prosecutors negotiated and asked the judge to lower bail to $50,000.
New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during the New York State Democratic Convention in New York, February 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Then, on July 19, Bragg finally dropped Alba’s charges after his office couldn’t prove the bodega worker didn’t act in self-defense.
Alba has since left the Big Apple for upstate New York and is still processing the whole ordeal, while also fearing for his safety in Manhattan.
“He will not go back to his job at the bodega,” said Francisco Marte, head of a bodega association. Position. “He is taking a break from dealing with his trauma and said he fears for his life.’
“We are asking him for professional help and then [Alba will] decide whether to return to [Dominican Republic] for good or just spending some time there,” Marte added.
Marte noted that Alba is still recovering from his injuries from the fight.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
