Snapple thieves stab deli owner in the back in Brooklyn, police say

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- A Brooklyn deli owner was stabbed in the back and punched while trying to stop two thieves from stealing a Snapple from his store last week, police said.

A man and a woman attacked the 44-year-old business owner inside the Deli and Grill located at 1990 Bedford Ave. in Prospect Lefferts Gardens on Jan. 16 just before 6 p.m., according to the NYPD. The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

The deli owner and the suspects got into a fight when the victim tried to stop them from leaving the store with the iced tea, police said. The man stabbed the victim in the back and the woman repeatedly punched him in the face, police said.

The NYPD released photos of the suspects, who remained at large as of Wednesday.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/or on Twitter @NYPDTips.