Brooklyn bodega worker stabbed to death, NYPD still searching for suspect

The NYPD is searching for a suspect after a bodega worker was stabbed to death in Brooklyn on Friday.

Police said they responded to a 911 call about a stabbing at a deli on 684 Hegeman Ave. in East New York around 3 p.m. When officers arrived, they found Diego Sandoval-Nava, 33, with multiple wounds to his torso, according to the NYPD. Hospital staff pronounced him dead at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center soon after.

Police have not made any arrests and are still investigating what may have prompted the stabbing.

United Bodegas of America, the organization that represents bodega workers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this year, Mayor Eric Adams announced the city would spend $1.6 million to install panic buttons at delis in neighborhoods with high crime rates, following repeated calls from the bodega worker association. The buttons allow staff to call the NYPD during emergencies. The devices also connect to cameras that police can monitor, so they can respond more quickly when crimes occur.

It's unknown if the bodega where Sandoval-Nava worked was equipped with one of the devices, and phone calls to the store went unanswered on Saturday.

“There are always pockets where criminals take advantage. Those pockets we all know: the trains, taxis and bodegas. We’re the easy target,” United Bodegas of America spokesperson Fernando Mateo said at a press conference in May.

There have been several deadly incidents at bodegas in recent years. A bill is pending in the state Legislature that would provide grants to convenience stores to help them install technology aimed at preventing crimes.

This story may be updated with additional information.