Sunday 7 August 2022 07:25 PM Bodega clerk who was charged with murder after stabbing attacker has quit his ... trends now
A Manhattan bodega worker who was charged with murder after defending himself against an attacker has quit his job in fear of his life, and is considering leaving New York City for good.
Jose Alba, 61, had charges dropped from the July 1 attack following an outpouring of anger at the decision to prosecute.
But Alba has now left his job and fled the city, said Francisco Marte, the head of a bodega association assisting Alba.
'He is taking a hiatus right now,' Marte said.
'He went upstate to get away from everything.
'He is not going back to work at the bodega. He is taking a break fighting with his trauma, and he said he is afraid for his life.'
Jose Alba (right) posed for a celebratory photo with Francisco Marte, president of the Bodega and Small Business Association of New York, on July 19 after DA Alvin Bragg dropped the murder charges against him
Bodega worker Jose Alba (right) was physically attacked by a customer before pulling out a knife and fatally stabbing the man. Charges against Alba are now being dropped
Marte said that Alba was haunted by the fight that cost Austin Simon, 35, his life.
'He is trying to get back to normal, but he said it's very hard when you have flashbacks of what happened,' said Simon.
'We are getting him professional help, and then [Alba and his family] decide whether he goes back to the DR for good or just spends some time there.'
On July 19, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office asked a judge to drop the charges Alba after having faced intense backlash, including criticism from the city's mayor.
Alba, confronted by reporters outside his home, said he is feeling 'so-so' and believes justice has been served.
He also shared that the wounds he sustained during the altercation are 'healing.'
Alba, who had faced a second-degree murder charge, was working at the Blue Moon deli on July 1 when he fatally stabbed Simon in the neck and chest.
Alba briefly spoke to the media after the charges were dropped. He said the wounds he sustained during the altercation are 'healing.' Alba's scarred arm is pictured as the bodega worker
