A shoplifter caused mayhem in Midtown on Saturday, stabbing a Duane Reade security guard and seriously injuring him and threatening another person, police sources said.
Police sources said the 21-year-old security guard was trying to stop a suspected shoplifter from stealing from the drugstore on the corner of West 53rd Street and Eighth Avenue.
However, police sources said the suspect then pulled out a knife and stabbed the male security guard in the arm and the left side of his torso.
Officials said the suspect also reportedly threatened another person with a knife outside the store.
Police arrived to the bloody scene just before 4pm.
The attack has shocked people in the area.
“I feel anxious and scared. The city has changed a lot. I have to be careful in the stores and on the subway,” said Staten Island resident Elmar Gura, 35. Gura noted that an increase in shoplifting has meant “I have to call customer service just to buy shampoo.”
Police sources said they found a male suspect armed with a knife a few blocks away.
The security guard was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in serious condition, police said.
Sources say the suspect has been arrested and is at Midtown North Police Station.
