Bodega Worker Released on Bail After Murder Charge, Despite Video Showing Self-Defense

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NEW YORK CITY (Yaakov M / VINnews) The Manhattan bodega employee who was charged with murder after killing an attacker in self-defense, has been released on bail.

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Jose Alba, 61, was brutally attacked by a violent career criminal last week. Store surveillance footage shows Alba was clearly in danger and protecting himself from a crazed madman. Fortunately, he was able to grab a knife and fend off the attacker, leaving the man lifeless.

Rather than being rewarded for his heroism, woke Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg charged Alba with murder.

Judge Jonathan Svetkey initially sent Alba to Rikers Island and set a whopping $250,000 bail. That’s only half of what Bragg’s office requested, claiming he is a flight risk because of a planned trip to the Dominican Republic next week. (He is originally from the Dominican Republic).

Under intense public pressure, the judge reduced the bail to $50,000, which has now been posted.

(WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO)

“He has every intention to return to court and defend this case,” Alba’s attorney, Danielle Jackson of Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, said in court.

Under the terms, Alba still has to wear an ankle bracelet, surrender his passport and is not allowed to leave the five boroughs, which Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sigall said “will ensure the fact that the defendant will not go to the DR as he planned to.”

Video from the incident clearly shows that Alba was under attack, and did what anyone would do in that situation–fight for his life.

Alba was manning the counter at Hamilton Heights Grocery on Broadway and West 139th Street Friday night when Austin Simon, a 35-year-old ex-con on parole for assaulting a police officer, stormed behind the counter and shoved him into a wall.

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The ex-con then grabbed Alba as the frightened clerk tried to get past him — getting his hands on a knife and plunging it into Simon at least five times.

During the fight, Simon’s girlfriend allegedly pulled a knife from her purse and stabbed Alba three times in the shoulder and hand, according to his attorney.

She has not been charged, with the DA’s office saying only “we are continuing to review the evidence and the investigation is ongoing.”

The video showed Alba, bloodied and still holding the knife, waiting for police to arrive — only to find himself hauled into custody on murder and criminal possession of a weapon charges.

“Jose Alba should be getting a Congressional Medal of Honor,” former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa said. “Instead, he’s locked up on Rikers and this is all Alvin Bragg. He turns loose real criminals and he incarcerates victims who fight back. What kind of a message is this?”

Mayor Eric Adams appeared to defend Alba as well. During an unrelated press conference Thursday, Adams commented on Alba’s case.

He said he “cannot dictate or mandate” how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg prosecutes crimes.

But, Adams added, his “heart goes out” for the “hard-working, honest” Alba.

“I am hoping that we take all of that into consideration, as this hard-working New Yorker was doing his job and someone aggressively went behind the counter to attack him,” Adams said. “I support hard-working, innocent people that are doing their job. And I saw him as a hard-working, innocent New Yorker that a person went behind the counter and attacked him.”

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31 Comments
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itzik
itzik
1 year ago

As a kid I couldn’t understand the concept of Sodom- where criminals are rewarded and their victims punished. Now, living in the modern day Sodom of Dem run NY, I still can’t understand it…but live with it every day. Sad.

Sanctuary City resident
Sanctuary City resident
1 year ago

Kathy Hochul is a wicked evil lady. She won’t get rid of Alvin Bragg who has innocent blood on his hands. She won’t get rid of bail reform. Sick disgusting lowlife piece of dog manure.

Whatever
Whatever
1 year ago

If you hit a police officer they have the right to shoot. What’s this any different?

get it straight
get it straight
1 year ago

this guy is a hero, goy shegonav chayiv misa

Phineas
Phineas
1 year ago

Ridiculous prosecution. Man should be applauded and allowed to move on.

Golda
Golda
1 year ago

And what if Alba wasn’t hard working? A person can have no support from Adams, or the NYC government in general, if they are defending themselves against a criminal? Adams will only support the person being attacked if they are hardworking…

Common sense
Common sense
1 year ago

I think soft on crime district attorney Bragg
Charged alba with murder for protecting himself due to racist
Prejudice.
Alba is a Latino and his attacker
Is black and Bragg is also black.

Lalka
Lalka
1 year ago

Keep voting for the democrat satanites. Here’s where we’re at : Every citizen is in mortal danger, you must not defend yourself or family. How does racist scum like Bragg get elected and permitted to persecute a hard working man trying to make a living ? The unbridled arrogance of askans who spit on us and talk up Hochul just for the money. What good are mosdos and yeshivas when you can’t walk to them safely ??

Sabra55
Sabra55
1 year ago

A message to all chasidim. No matter what your rebbelech say, DO NOT VOTE DEMOCRAT!! It’s time to say enough is enough. Just remember that Zalman and Aaron both told everyone to vote for Hochul.

Open Minded
Open Minded
1 year ago

We haven’t heard from Puopko in a while….

Sayee
Sayee
1 year ago

Bernhard Goetz, in full Bernhard Hugo Goetz, Jr., (born November 7, 1947, Queens, New York, U.S.), American vigilante who rose to national fame when he shot four African-American males on a New York City subway train on December 22, 1984.

ah yid
ah yid
1 year ago

After watching the video I’m not so sure. We see the ex con pushing the clerk. but to me it seems like this was chapter 2 in this fight. My question is was there something that happened before the pushing? Why was he behind the counter? From the video it looks like a fight not a robbery gone bad.