NYC Mayor Eric Adams Defends Bodega Worker Facing Murder Charges

“What I Saw On The Video Was A New Yorker Doing His Job” – Eric Adams Speaks On Bodega Worker Stabbing Incident

The Harlem bodega worker facing charges for fatally stabbing a man who hopped behind the counter and attacked him had posted bond after prosecutors argued for a lower bail package.

Jose Alba was initially being held on a $250,000 cash bail after he was charged in the fatal stabbing of Austin Simon at the bodega on Broadway near W. 139 St. Friday during a fast-escalating dispute over a bag of chips that hadn’t been paid for, and that Jose had taken away from a young girl.

After talks with Jose’s defense council, prosecutors agreed to take his bail down to $50,000 on Thursday.

 

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Mayor Adams defended Jose, who he described as a “hard-working and honest” New Yorker.
“What I saw on the video was a New Yorker doing his job,” Adams said. “That disruption of the job happened because someone was aggressive.”

In the footage, you can see Jose Alba, 51, being confronted by his alleged victim, Austin Simon, 35. It all started because Simon’s girlfriend got into an argument with Alba about her declined transaction.

According to police, Simon’s girlfriend, EBT debit card declined when she tried to use it to buy chips for her 10-year-old daughter at the store.

The woman claimed Alba grabbed the snack out of her daughter’s hand — so she knocked over items on the counter and ran home to get Simon, who then stormed into the bodega and attacked Alba about 10 minutes later.