A beloved San Francisco store clerk, Yowhannes "John" Tewelde, tragically lost his life following a brutal assault during a robbery at his place of work.
The 60-year-old man was savagely attacked with a baseball bat while attempting to prevent a thief from stealing beer.
Tewelde succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital on Tuesday, having sustained a severe brain injury during the assault. He never regained consciousness, and the assailant, who remains unidentified, is still at large, as reported by the New York Post.
The incident occurred at the Balboa Street store where Tewelde worked, around 9:30 pm on Thursday. A neighbor described Tewelde as a man "loved by the community."
Police reports indicate that the suspect had shoplifted water from the store just ten minutes before returning to steal two bottles of beer. When Tewelde confronted the thief with a baseball bat, the suspect wrestled it from him, knocked him to the ground, and struck him on the head with the bat before fleeing the scene, as seen in the store's surveillance footage.
Tewelde's daughter, Meron, spoke to KTVU about her father's dedication to his job and his community. Despite undergoing heart surgery in March, Tewelde was eager to return to work. "There's something about that community he loves. He loves everyone there," Meron said.
She expressed her wish that her "loyal" and "trustworthy" father had not intervened in the robbery, but understood his actions, stating, "he treated that store like it was his." She added, "But my dad has such honor."
Shaina Prasad, a regular customer at the store, shared her fond memories of Tewelde on his GoFundMe page. "Every time we went in it felt like I was chatting with a family member and felt so loved," she wrote. "I'm so saddened by his passing and my heart goes out to his cat, Nancy, and his family."
Another frequent visitor, Molly Clark, remembered Tewelde as a "friendly and positive presence in the neighborhood." She wrote, "John always was... Never without a smile on his face when you entered the store. His smile after a long and challenging day of work always made me smile." She extended her deepest condolences to Tewelde's family for the "senseless act."
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