Family Dollar Workers Attacked by Knife-Wielding Maniac in Daylight Rampage

A brutal broad-daylight ambush inside a Bronx Family Dollar ended with one employee bitten and another slashed—while the attacker strolled away with stolen goods.

The suspect, described as a young man between 18 and 21 years old, walked into the Webster Avenue Family Dollar around 2:30 p.m. Monday and immediately began sweeping items off the shelves, according to NYPD officials.

When two employees—22-year-old Yerime Dieye and a 24-year-old woman—stepped in to stop the brazen thief, chaos erupted.

“He bit me hard—on my hand, my finger. I tried to grab the knife, but he fought like an animal,” Dieye told a reporter on Wednesday, still shaken but back at work. “He slashed my coworker’s arm. She was bleeding, running. I just got her to the bathroom to clean up.”

Police say the attacker used the violent distraction to flee the store with stolen merchandise. He was last seen wearing a green sweater, khaki pants, and black sneakers, carrying a red shoulder bag.

The female worker was rushed to BronxCare Health System and later released in stable condition. She is now recovering at home and has declined to speak publicly.

Dieye, a college student and part-time field specialist for Family Dollar, says the chain has been struggling with a wave of store thefts—often escalating into physical confrontations.

“This isn’t just one store. It’s happening everywhere,” Dieye said. “We’ve got security—but only part of the day. These stores open early, and the criminals know it.”

The horrifying attack adds to a string of violent thefts gripping New York City. Just three weeks ago, another shoplifter at a Midtown Duane Reade stabbed a security guard after being confronted for stealing a can of soda.

The NYPD has taken notice. According to Commissioner Jessica Tisch, shoplifting arrests are up 144% compared to 2020, as law enforcement cracks down on repeat offenders across all five boroughs.

“We’re locking up more serious shoplifters and pushing for felony convictions,” Tisch said at a recent press briefing. “We’ve made it clear—if you hurt someone while stealing, you’re going away.”

While citywide robbery is down 13% this year and grand larceny is down 7%, the commissioner credited the drop to the department’s “laser focus” on retail crime.

Still, for workers like Dieye and his coworker, the threat feels personal.

“We show up to work, not to fight off criminals,” Dieye said. “But now, it feels like every shift, we’re on alert.”