An unidentified shoplifter sprayed a Family Dollar employee in the face with mace before fleeing with stolen merchandise at a Brooklyn store, according to the NYPD. The attack happened around 3:30 p.m. inside the discount retailer at 130 New Lots Avenue in Brooklyn.
The suspect attempted to leave the store without paying for merchandise, then maced a 30-year-old employee in the face before fleeing with the stolen items, police said. An NYPD Crime Stoppers post sought information about the incident. The commercial establishment at that address is a Family Dollar discount retail store, according to Family Dollar.
Anyone with information can call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
Felony Provisions for Injuries to Retail Workers
New York law includes a felony provision for causing physical injury to an on-duty retail worker.
The provision concerns cases in which an on-duty retail worker is physically injured. NYPD Crime Stoppers, backed by the nonprofit New York City Police Foundation, offers anonymous cash rewards of up to $3,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in violent felony cases, according to the NYPD.
Pattern of Violence Along the Atlantic Avenue Corridor
This is not the first violent incident reported along the commercial strip in recent weeks. On September 8, a 67-year-old man was punched and robbed of $120 inside a building along Atlantic Avenue, underscoring ongoing commercial and street-level crime on the thoroughfare, Hoodline reported in its piece, Brooklyn Robbery: 67-Year-Old Punched.
In July, a 50-year-old man was beaten and robbed of his cellphone inside a Brownsville deli on East New York Avenue, also within the 73rd Precinct, requiring hospitalization after two suspects fled on foot, according to Hoodline's coverage.
No arrests have been announced in the macing incident, and it remains unclear whether the suspect may be connected to other commercial thefts reported along the corridor. Anyone with information is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers by phone.
