A San Francisco store clerk has died of his injuries five days after he was severely beaten with a baseball bat while trying to stop a robber who was stealing just two bottles of beer.
Yowhannes “John” Tewelde, 60, never regained consciousness after suffering a major brain injury during the Thursday night attack in Richmond Market and died at a local hospital shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, he announced. his family.
“John was a beloved member of the community, and even more loved by his family and friends,” a neighbor posted on GoFundMe who raised money for his medical bills.
Tewelde was working at the Balboa Street store around 9:30 p.m. Thursday when a thief tried to steal two bottles of beer.
He had already run off with some water, police said, returning just 10 minutes later to find Tewelde wielding a baseball bat in an effort to keep him away.
Yowhannes “John” Tewelde, 60, died in a San Francisco hospital on Tuesday after a brutal attack.Fox 2
But surveillance footage from the store shows the thief knocking Tewelde down, causing him to hit his head on the floor.
He then snatched Tewelde’s bat and hit him in the head before fleeing.
Tewelde had been confronted by a thief who was trying to steal two bottles of beer from the store where he worked on Thursday night. The unidentified suspect (above) remains at large. Fox 2
The unidentified suspect remains at large.
Tewelde’s daughter Merón later described him as a “loyal and trustworthy person.” [who] He treated that store as if it were his own.
“It doesn’t make sense why I would try to stop that guy,” he told KPIX. “If that were me, he would have let him steal whatever he wanted to steal. But my dad has that honor.”
Tewelde had recently become a U.S. citizen and underwent heart surgery in March.
“Right after his heart surgery, he didn’t wait to go back to work because he wanted to be there,” Meron told KTVU. “There is something in that community that he loves. He loves everyone there.”
Tewelde was hit with a baseball bat by the robber and never regained consciousness. Fox 2
Friends and family remembered him Tuesday as a pillar of the community.
“John was always a friendly and positive presence in the neighborhood,” Molly Stark wrote on GoFundMe. “Never without a smile on his face when he walked into the store. His smile after a long, challenging day at work always made me smile.
“My condolences to his family for this senseless act,” he added. “John will not be forgotten.”
Another community member, Shaina Prasad, shared how she saw Tewelde on an almost daily basis.
“He had a lot of love for me and my dog,” she wrote. “Every time we walked in I felt like I was chatting with a family member and I felt very loved. Every time I walked home alone at night, I felt safe knowing John was in the store.
“I am very saddened by his passing and my heart goes out to his cat, Nancy, and his family.”
Authorities said the suspect had already stolen some water from the store before returning around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Fox 2
A third person commented: “I’m sorry for your loss. It’s hard to believe this [is] happening in our neighborhood. How absurd.”
And Heidi Marie Bretz wrote that “hard work and loyalty should not be rewarded with brutality.
“This is heartbreaking,” he said.
A vigil is planned for Thursday night outside the market.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn