Staten Island politicians came to the defense of a Manhattan bodega clerk on Saturday who faces murder charges for fighting off an attacker – saying he would be cheered for such an action in their borough instead of to be thrown in a prison cell to rot on the notorious island of Rikers.
“In some parts of the world, this guy would be a hero for running away — he’d get a medal,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said at a rally in support of the clerk of the city. bodega Jose Alba in front of an Eltingville bagel store.
“We can’t control what happens in other parts of town, but we can do it here,” Fossella said. “If things like this happened to Staten Island, [Alba wouldn’t] goes to Rikers.
Fossella, Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon, and some Staten Island small business operators also condemned the controversial Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Alvin Bragg, for not only hitting Alba — who has no known criminal history – with a second degree for murder charges in the fatal July 1 attack on ex-con Austin Simon, but also asking for a whopping $500,000 bond.
Alba was released from Rikers on Thursday — but only after a judge reduced his bond to $50,000.
McMahon said the city needs more common-sense accountability for dealing with violent and repeat criminals, or citizens may have to protect themselves like Alba did.
“If you are attacked, whether at home, at school or in your business, you have the right to defend yourself,” he said.
Bragg – who has earned a reputation since taking office as a soft-spoken progressive on crime – threw the book at Alba, 61, despite surveillance video showing Simon, 35, storming behind the counter from the Hamilton Heights grocery store on Broadway and West 139th Street to attack the store employee.
Alba suffered stab wounds himself – allegedly inflicted by Simon’s girlfriend – which may have been infected because his wounds were not properly treated while behind bars, according to Francisco Marte, founder of the Bodega and Small Business Group.
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