Video shows Mattapan store clerk stabbed in chest during robbery: ‘I’m lucky to be alive’

BOSTON — Boston Police arrested a suspect in Mattapan after a 66-year-old store clerk was stabbed in the chest. Boston 25 News reporter Malini Basu spoke to the victim in the Bengali language. He tells Malini, he would’ve never imagined someone would be so cruel to do something like that. He is just lucky to be alive.

This surveillance video shows a man in a red sweatshirt and hat, appearing to ask the store clerk a question.

Seconds later, the man pulls out a knife, and stabs the 66-year-old in the chest during an attempted robbery.

Malini asked, what did you do at that moment? Victim said: “What am I supposed to do? I just held my chest so tight,” said Abdul Latif.

“That man and I didn’t even exchange a word. I was just standing there. All of a sudden, he just took a knife and stabbed me. I didn’t even see it coming.”

The robbery happened in mid-October at Fernandez Cousins grocery store on Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan.

In the video, you can see Latif was left to fend for himself, struggling to push the panic button. He showed us his chest wound, saying he’s still in so much pain. Adding to his pain, Latif believes he contracted COVID-19 while recovering in the hospital.

“He lucky, doctors say that,” said Abdul Bashar, the store owner.

Abul Bashar has owned the store for seven years, and says, theft and robberies are happening in the neighborhood far too often.

While we were there, Bashar says someone had just stolen cigarettes from him… money that he works hard for to feed his family of seven.

“A small, I hard worker, my family and my wife,” said Abdul.

“It’s happening every single day, every other store, every corner, try to work with them,” said Humayun Morshed, the Boston Convenience Store Association secretary. He says they’ve been working with the Boston police department to combat the violence.

Going back to the victim, he said he is still very weak, but thankful he is still alive to be with his family.

The store owners association says they are trying to build their own community relationship by getting to know customers. But in the end, they say they have no choice but to work these risky jobs to put food on the table for their family.

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