Police are actively searching for a suspect involved in the fatal stabbing of a deli worker in East New York on Friday afternoon. The victim, 33-year-old Diego Sandoval-Nava, was employed at a bodega on Hegeman Avenue when a confrontation over loose cigarettes escalated into violence. According to authorities, the suspect entered the deli around 3 p.m., displaying erratic behavior and shouting. After leaving briefly, he returned and attempted to access the area behind the counter where the cigarettes were kept. When Sandoval-Nava intervened, he was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen before the assailant fled the scene.
Sandoval-Nava was taken to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he ultimately passed away from his injuries. Fernando Mateo of United Bodegas of America expressed disbelief at the senselessness of the violence, questioning how anyone could take a life over something as trivial as cigarettes. Sandoval-Nava, who lived above the deli, was remembered by his community as a dedicated father and a kind-hearted individual who often helped others. One of his friends, Andy, recalled how Sandoval-Nava consistently checked on those around him, ensuring their well-being. The police have described the suspect as approximately 190 pounds and 5'10" tall with braided hair, but no arrests have been made, and the investigation is still ongoing.
