Two charged with ethnic intimidation and assault after allegedly attacking Bloomfield store clerk
PITTSBURGH —
A Bloomfield store owner was assaulted Thursday morning after refusing to sell cigarettes to a 19-year-old, police said.
Nancy Wehe, who volunteers at West Penn Hospital and often visits 7-Eleven to play the lottery, was at the store on Liberty Avenue around 11:30 a.m. when the incident occurred.
“I went in to play my numbers, and I heard all this commotion, screaming and everything, and I didn’t want to look because I was busy playing the numbers. And I was so startled, I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared,” Wehe said.
Police said 19-year-old Duron Davenport of Garfield and 25-year-old Cedric Smith of McKeesport entered the store and demanded Black & Mild cigarettes from the clerk, who was also the store’s owner, Mohammed Al-Maghariz.
“He said, I can’t sell you any cigarettes. You’re 19. That’s what I heard,” Wehe told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Felicity Taylor.
Al-Maghariz called police after he said the two men assaulted him for refusing to sell them cigarettes. Officers reported that Al-Maghariz had a gash and blood on his face when they arrived.
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Police said surveillance footage captured the interaction, showing the men arguing with Al-Maghariz, who pointed at the door then swiped his hands at them but did not make contact. The video then showed Al-Maghariz walking out from behind the counter, at which point Smith and Davenport allegedly punched him multiple times before fleeing the store.
“I feel so bad. He’s a very nice person. He is so nice. He’ll help you if you have a problem with the lottery machine,” Wehe said.
Police found Smith and Davenport outside the store, where they claimed Al-Maghariz had attacked them first.
According to the criminal complaint, Smith said, “He needs to go back to his land, his country, keep all that disrespect over there. With the guy there, at the store, it has to do with race.”
Davenport reportedly stated, “He got what he deserved.”
Both men are charged with ethnic intimidation and simple assault. Their preliminary hearings are set for Sept. 23.
“I live down the street. The guys who work here are really, really nice. It’s just a shame to hear about that,” said Brenna Gallagher, of Bloomfield. “That’s so terrible. There’s no room for that kind of violence or anything like that here in Bloomfield.”
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