Bayside Councilmember Tells Bodega Workers To Arm Themselves

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino told bodega workers to arm themselves after a violent encounter in a Harlem deli left a customer dead and a worker facing criminal charges.

"If the justice system isn’t going to protect you ... then you must defend yourself," Paladino tweeted Wednesday. "It’s very sad that it’s come to this."

Paladino also shared a Fox News article, posted to Yahoo News, about the United Bodegas of America urging workers to do the same thing, writing, "I concur."

This call to arms in bodegas came about two weeks after the fatal stabbing in a Harlem bodega that shocked New York City.

Jose Alba, 51, stands accused of stabbing Austin Simon, 37, during a July 1 fight over a snack (for which Simon's girlfriend's daughter reportedly could not pay) inside the Hamilton Heights bodega where Alba worked.

Alba posted a $5,000 bond last week, allowing him to walk free until a potential trial, according to court records.

When asked if bodega owners arming themselves could incite more violence, Paladino pointed to Simon as the person who incited violence.

“He went behind the counter with the intent to hurt Jose Alba,” Paladino said.

Paladino also came out in support of self-defense and pointed the finger at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has charged Alba with second-degree murder.

“This poor bodega worker, 51-year-old, was attacked over a bag of potato chips,” said Paladino. “How could Bragg be down on Jose Alba?"

Doug Cohen, a spokesperson for Bragg, declined to discuss specifics of the case — but reports show he may be considering dropping the murder charge against Alba.

Cohen told Patch, via email, “As with all cases, it is important that prosecutors carefully and thoroughly review all the evidence at our disposal before reaching a conclusion solely based on the facts and the law."