By West Side Rag
The employee who died after confronting a shoplifter Friday night at a Morton Williams store near Columbus Circle has been identified, according to police and multiple reports, including ABC7.
Leobardo Hernandez, 64, collapsed shortly after a shoplifter assaulted him inside the store at 917 9th Avenue, between West 58th and 59th streets, according to W42ST, which was the first publication to report on the incident.
Hernandez was rushed to Mount Sinai West on Friday night, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Hernandez, a father of four, was identified as the victim on Tuesday, ABC7 reported.
Two of his sons told ABC7 that he was punched in the chest by the suspect and was later found inside the store lying on a milk crate.
“My father was a kind and hardworking man who always put his family first, someone who touched the lives of everyone he met with his warmth and generosity,” Harold Hernandez, Leobardo’s son, wrote on a fundraiser for the family. “His passing has left a hole in our lives that can never be filled.”
ABC7 added that an autopsy on Hernandez showed signs of an enlarged heart and prior heart issues, and that “police are looking into whether stress from the incident contributed to his death.”
The shoplifter has not been found or identified, and the investigation remains ongoing, police said.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Leobardo Hernandez, our beloved colleague and a treasured member of our Morton Williams family,” the company said in a statement.
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Terrible, NYPD need to actually arrest these criminals instead of shrugging their shoulders. Hope they catch this one quickly.
How appalling! A man has been killed in our community and the vast majority of these posts find it perfectly ok to IMMEDIATELY inject politics and invective into their comments.
NYPD? How about Bragg who you voted for?
The NYPD has the greatest detectives in the world. This reprobate will be arrested and brought to court. After that anything can happen with New York’s prosecutors and judicial system.
Then why don’t we hear of any actual detecting going on? Weren’t there any eyewitnesses — in broad daylight (or store lights)?
They don’t always fill you in on the progress, because they don’t want to spook the perp and have him or her flee the jurisdiction. They have to have enough hard evidence to make an actual arrest.
Bragg just let’s them go – what’s the point. Only gonna get worse with the new mayor.
Really, DA Bragg just lets those charged with murder or manslaughter go?
Yes, by not charging them with murder…
Right.
Anyhow, “they” haven’t been apprehended.
yes! and if not bragg and company. the lefty judges don’t impose tough sentences
For killing someone, even if it’s manslaughter?
It’s a homicide, on the UWS believe me this guy will be caught . Ric tic and in a hurry.
Simple solution:
Put the handcuffs on the criminals instead of the NYPD.
Arrest him?! For what? He’s clearly a victim. People don’t just go around stealing things because they’re bad. Poverty drives crime. The solution, obviously, is free beer for everyone.
Not funny, because a man is dead. Bad attempt at humor. Actually, it’s also not true at all. Bernie Madoff stole BILLIONS and BILLIONS, and so do many uber rich and super rich. Was Al Capone or John Gotti a victim? All sorts of people shoplift. Poverty does NOT drive crime at all. That’s a myth. Crime knows no socio-economic boundaries. The VAST majority of poor do not steal. They may resort to begging, but not stealing.
Your comparisons are inapt. Comparing a shoplifter to Gotti or Madoff is absurd in the extreme. And Peter is actually basically correct: poverty does drive low-level crime (which is what he was obviously implying).
According to a recent study, “Poverty creates conditions that significantly increase the risk of criminal behavior, acting as a major contributing factor through economic desperation, limited opportunities, and social disadvantages. Poverty and crime can also create a vicious cycle, where crime exacerbates poverty and vice versa.”
I completely agree. Crime exists at every level of society; it just takes different forms. It’s more a matter of personal morals than income or status.
You’re being sarcastic, right?
WHAT? Are you out of your mind?
Steaks and beer. That’s what I see stolen on weekly basis.
They can sell theseitems to bodegas who resell them.
What happens when the suspect doesn’t meet your hated racial group? And you know what, poverty does drive crime. Sarcasm and being so unserious doesn’t provide solutions to the world’s problems. Sad story
Does poverty drive punching a 64 year old store worker in the chest?
Of course not, that’s why everyone wants the guy to be identified, caught, and arrested. You can understand the cause of theft, and believe the poverty that may have led to it is a structural problem that our society must solve, without condoning the theft or the violence that in this case accompanied it.
Asians make up the largest group in poverty in NYC. They also have the lowest convictions for theft. It’s all about culture not poverty.
OMG! You brought racism into that?!!
That’s why the things are the way they are. So sad that we have people with this out of touch mentality.
Poverty does not drive crime, opportunity does, weakness does, the lack of accountability does. People who make excuses for criminals are responsible for crime.
Does poverty also excuse violence?
Phoebe, I don’t think you meant to ask that as a response to OPOD. But please note that saying “poverty drives crime” (which I agree it does) is NOT the same as saying “poverty excuses crime.” No one here has said poverty excuses crime. They have suggested (though not explicitly said, I don’t think), that if poverty drives crime, then addressing the poverty issue is likely to be a more effective way both to resolve social inequity and to reduce crime than throwing individuals in jail and leaving their dependents in the same poverty they were in all along.
for what? His assault led to, and might have been the cause of, the death of a person. That matters not to you?
That was sarcasm
unclear
It was quite clear to the rest of us.
untrue
Sadly this is the side effect of virtually ignoring shoplifting- it’s been around forever but seems to have spiked last few years! Hopefully store cameras will help catch shoplifting murderer- yes I wrote that and meant it!
I just served for 10 days on a grand jury, heard about 50 cases, and 75% were for shoplifting, with the perpetrator arrested based on video camera evidence. Of course I don’t know what happens after they are indicted. But it is not the case that shoplifting is virtually ignored in NYC.
That’s because the value was over $1000.00 which makes it grand larceny, thus the Grand Jury ,But people can steal under 1 k all day every day.
Andrew, under a certain dollar amount (which is ridiculously high) shoplifting is indeed ignored.
Actually this is why many stores tell their employees to just let people shoplift – not worth risking their lives. It is very sad that it has come to this but it is the case. If shoplifters had some fear of consequences then perhaps they would be less likely to shoplift.
There are plenty of soup kitchens and other programs where people can get food. There is no justification for this.
Do soup kitchens pay the rent, too? The medical bills? From what I’ve heard (talking to employees of drug stores, which now lock up much of their merchandise, to the annoyance of the rest of us), the theft is clearly for resale, not for personal use.
People who pay rent and medical bills don’t steal. The ones who are on all possible assistance programs do.
These items are sold. They aren’t for personal use.
Why should we pay for someone’s rent? What about the person getting a job? When 40%+ of NYC is on Medicaid, the issue is refusal to work.
And then what? Nothing is going to happen to him. Nothing.
Criminals know that they can get away with both shoplifting/theft from stores and with assaulting store employees. We need the law to be enforced if we’re going to have a healthy city.
I think this title is misleading and unfair to the victim. Employee killed by shoplifter
Will Bragg get reelected?
Of course.
Not if everyone votes him out. Vote for Maud Maron.
Yes. Because of the convenient group think.
With this virtue signaling crowd – yes.
Wise person said:
“It is better
to signal virtue
and be berated for it
than to have none.”
That person wasn’t wise. There’s nothing virtuous about feigning concern so they can neglect their true internal biases.
… more virtue signalling, sigh …..
I’d say it is better to have virtue than only signal it.
Everyone on the UWS should look in the mirror. There is no longer sense of community here. It started during COVID and continues.
When you think its ok to ignore the law and take your dog into a supermarket or let your dog run off leash or crap and piss in the middle of the sidewalk, it sends a message loud and clear.
When you think nothing of riding your bike through lights or in the sidewalk. It sends a message.
When you dont move your car for alternate side or blare your horn incessantly because yiu ate blocked in. It sends a message.
When the streets are allowed to be filled with trash. It sends a message.
When the mentally ill are allowed to roam the streets without the support they need, it sends a message.
When people stop having common courtesy, when they stop obeying the simple laws and regulations that we all agree to as a society and then our leaders decide to excuse criminal behavior the message could not be clearer.
The message is do what you want. Everyman for themselves. Screw you. While it is easy to single out a shoplifter as in this case, the reality is that we no longer live in a community but instead among animals.
I went to a NYC Social Services office recently and I really felt like I was in a city of animals the way people conducted themselves.
I had the same experience. Appalling. People were loud, pushing each other and openly drinking.
Agreed, but this all started before Covid.
Interesting, and very thoughtfully stated. e do live in a completely narcissistic world.
Do not insult animals. These people are evil.
Broken windows policing worked and we need a return to it.
The people who came up with Broken Windows policing literally made it up. They had no empirical evidence or data to support their idea. But it *sounded* compelling and everyone just ran with it. It has since been debunked, but people just love the simplicity of the idea so it won’t die.
If you bother to look at the stats, crime in New York peaked in 1990 with 2245 murders. Giuliani didn’t come into office until January 1994. The murder rate dropped every single year under Dinkins. Rudy got the credit for a National trend that, to this day, has no clear statistical cause.
Actually, it has never been debunked at all. It is actually simply, good old-fashioned common sense. It’s also less about crime than it is simple quality of life and about uplifting people. The poor deserve a clean, healthy environment just as much as the suburban rich(er) do. Murder often happens behind closed doors. Watch “Snapped.” It’s irrelevant. But filth, disease, rats, trash, graffiti, getting hit by bikes, getting mugged, etc. all matter, too. Statistics are meaningless when it comes to your neighborhood and daily life.
How ironic of you! In one of your comments above, you disagree with a comment in which the person suggests that poverty drives crime rates. Now you yourself are stating that it does, though you are doing so in a mildly euphemistic fashion.
As for “broken windows” policing, Graze Papaya is correct. According to a study by the Scholarship Archive:
“Researchers and academics argue that Broken Windows theory has been debunked, with recent meta-analyses and studies finding little evidence that neighborhood disorder directly causes more crime or that the policing strategies stemming from the theory effectively reduce crime. Critics argue the theory incorrectly assumes a causal link between disorder and crime, suggesting other factors like collective efficacy or simply a reversion to the mean for crime rates may be responsible for observed declines. Furthermore, the policing practices associated with the theory have been criticized for leading to racial bias, over-policing of minority communities, and a damaging impact on police-community relations.”
Common sense is not evidence. There is a fair amount of evidence that other causes were at least as probable as broken windows policing. What broken windows definitely does is make people who do follow the law, sometimes at significant personal expense, not feel like chumps. That is not nothing – but it doesn’t prove causality.
Don’t insult animals. These people are evil.
Could not agree more with this poster – the car owners – and dog owners contribute a lot to a loss of quality of life in our city. Why car owners sit in their cars while the street sweeper pauses right behind them – no idea where they get the moxie to do that. But guess what – there are no consequences. I challenged one car owner and her argument “they already went by” and “I’m your neighbor” – wow ! Dicey looking biker heading straight for me on sidewalk challenges me to stop him and tossed out ethnic slur when I point out his behavior.
Target and Whole Foods seem to almost encourage or look the other way when dog owners strut into the store with their mutts. Or the Target dog owner who puts his dog INTO THE SHOPPING CART!
I think what bothers me the most is the arrogant sense that these parties feel they are doing nothing wrong.
I live in a great community of courteous wonderful people. You should go look in the mirror, we’re just fine thanks.
I guess you don’t live on the UWS. Bill Williams and GPeck are correct. Why do entitled people complain about people stealing from CVS, when they’re breaking laws everyday — dogs off leashes, smoking in parks, etc etc etc. Enjoy the mess that you create.
There’s a big difference between criminal and civil laws. A better example of hypocrisy would be a jaywalker scolding a cyclist going in the wrong direction.
And if the cyclist is running a red, and texting?
That’s a BS false equivalence. Learn about kinetic energy.
Riverdale?
I was assured that shoplifting was a victimless crime and that all the stores have insurance anyway. My sympathies to the family of Mr. Hernandez. Good people shouldn’t be subjected to this.
So it doesn’t cause insurance premiums to rise along with prices charged to cover them and us paying more when we shop?
This is unbelievable. My heart truly goes out to that poor person.
Our city officials and Bragg are completely to blame—they’ve let shoplifting spiral out of control and done nothing about it.
This was bound to happen sooner or later thanks to these soft-on-crime politicians and all the virtue signallers who keep putting them in office.
Seriously, do they even care about everyday working people, or just the freeloaders causing all the trouble?
Vote for Maud Maron (not Bragg).
I wish more people thought like you.
Sadly , , , this criminal will get caught; arrested; charged; and freed! 🙁
I agree that Bragg and company are way too soft on crime. But unless the criminal has a superstar lawyer who can change the narrative, he killed someone so has to get some time for that. The victim dying is the worst thing that could have happened to the criminal as it ups the penalties a lot.
We need WSR to follow up in this.
Gus, are you up to the task?
Lots of delusion in these comments. Of course murderers are not just being “let go.” If you actually look at the facts, the number of people arrested and prosecuted increased in 2023 and 2024 despite crime falling in both those years.
Just donated. Let’s not normalize this. This is shouldn’t happen in any civilized city. Punish heavily shoplifting and assault.
Too bad there wasn’t a social worker on the scene.
I don’t even want to think about what this city is going to look like after 4 years of Mamdami. We desperately need someone tough on crime.
Maybe you’ll at least get his name right after four years?
64 and working in a grocery store. We are a lost society.
I don’t get it—it’s honest work and ppl take social security in a whole range of ages and can work and earn up to a certain amount to supplement it—not sure how that makes us lost
That seems a bit off – I’m nearly 64 and am entirely fit to work in a grocery store. Social security doesn’t kick in until 65. What is he supposed to be doing?
Why? What’s wrong with working at 64? Retirement age in this country is 67, and average life expectancy is 87.
The shoplifter has not been found or identified,
Where are all the security cameras and video? Morton Williams has no in-store video monitors?
The upper west side will vote for Alvin Bragg yet again
Condolences to the family of Leobardo Hernandez on his tragic passing. May his memory bring you comfort in the future after this shock of loss. So sorry for your loss and pain.
On Monday, I witnessed a brazen shoplifting incident at the CVS at Broadway and 77th. I was standing inside near the entrance when a young man, in a black jacket with white writing or designs, walked in, grabbed one of the large bags of Halloween m&ms from the display, and walked out. The manager had been standing nearby as well, and we exchanged looks of, “can you believe this ___?” He called the cops, (and so did I) and they came promptly, but what can be done? The guy was gone, and it was just a bag of m&ms.
THIS story is why neither the manager nor I confronted the thief, even though we saw him do it and he was right in front of us. It’s not worth it and you don’t know what they could do if confronted. Remember Karl, who used to sit in the median at 79th and Broadway and yell at people? He used to regularly help himself to six-packs of beer from the Duane Reade at 79th & Amsterdam and the staff were told to call the cops but not to confront him. It’s infuriating, and it drives up the costs for everyone else, but it’s not worth risking your safety or life over some stolen beer or candy. RIP Mr. Hernandez. He was trying to do the right thing. But don’t ever try to be the hero in these situations — it’s so weird to read this awful story just 2 days after I made a conscious decision to just let a shoplifter walk out past me.
It’s so unsettling when u actually see this stuff—was at a Pret having a bite when a dude came in and jammed as many of the biggest sandwiches he could carry under his arm and left—I honestly don’t know how business survives this—it’s so disgusting to live this way
It is unsettling, and if there is enough of it (opportunistic crime) businesses move out or change their ways. If you have ever lived in the part of any city where small delis have the register by the door and bulletproof glass between the register person, window and customers, you know what it looks and feels like. A neighborhood that can support a successful Pret is living at a pretty plush average. (Not making judgements – I’ve lived in both. Cost of living is lower in one, and you have to balance what you can to find good quality of life in either. Im not a fan of opportunistic crime, but it is a tell about how things are for people. Cameras should help but not always.
Karl is the reason I never cross the street on the south side of 79th. And guess what–he seems to have re-located. Now he’s on the south- east corner of 79th and Broadway. Awful presence.
Does anyone have info as to how we can help his family? stacyannlevy@gmail.com
Yes, vote better.
That was my first question, too, Stacy. I hope with all my heart that Morton Williams / his employer(s) provides benefits for his family. And if there is a GoFundMe type campaign anyone knows about, please do share it here.
It’s in the article and also in the comments below.
ohmygoodness, Stacy, you’re an amazing neighbor – just saw that you found the gofundme link already
The link to the family’s gofundme is in the article, but here you go – https://www.gofundme.com/f/pjtmdd-leobardo-hernandez
Hardworking immigrant father trying to do the right thing. Bless him and his family here and in Mexico. Thanks for the link to the Gofundme.
I’m sorry my UWS and pretty much the rest of NYC has come to this more and more each day. Bragg hadn’t helped and if we think the next mayor, Mr. M, will help, think again.
Poor Mr. Hernandez—I hope this isn’t put off on his underlying health issues cause it seems he was working just fine at night in a grocery store until he was PUNCHED IN THE CHEST by this demon—it’s a homicide
This is terrible. My heart goes out to his family. What a terrible tragedy. This did not need to happen. The poor man!
And this is why most stores have eliminated security guards – because those guards did not have the power or authority to make arrests, and when they DID have that authority, many were assaulted and even killed, like this well-intentioned man.
And PLEASE – STOP WITH THE POLITICS. We have NO idea who the shoplifter is, so we have no idea whether politics, even writ large, has anything to do with what happened.
STOP INJECTING PARTISAN POLITICS INTO EVERY F—ING THING THAT HAPPENS, particularly when we have ZERO information to go on!!
Laws are enacted by the people we elect.
Ian, I am surprised that you, of almost everyone on here, don’t acknowledge that everything is political, at least in a certain way. I think the choice of many politicians and the voters who support them to seek to dismantle the carceral state has had many unintended bad consequences.
I appreciate the kind (?) words, but…
I think you know darn well that was NOT what I was suggesting. This post is about a particular crime that led to the death of a store employee. One does not need to inject politics – particularly partisan politics – into that, especially not before ANY of the relevant facts are known.
Yes, we can debate the causes of crime and related matters, which can lead to the injection of partisan politics. But THIS is not the time or place, since that is NOT what this is about.
I would be shocked if you don’t agree.
We have enough information and enough bitter experience under Bragg.
My sincere condolences to the family.
I’m just here for the Comments.
After serving recently on jury duty, i can tell you that there are cameras everywhere in this city. if the family wants to press charges it’s possible the suspect may be caught and even indicted.
If you work retail, you shouldn’t risk your life for the company. If someone is stealing, it’s not your problem. Companies do not care about their workers. Morton Williams makes enough for security.
This is pure victim blaming. Mr. Hernandez died doing what anyone in a healthy society would do. If we continue making comments like this, it only shows how far our society has strayed from what is truly normal.
I hope those of you who came here to comment and argue instead of expressing sadness and condolences will take the equivalent amount of time to step up and use the link in this same piece to donate to his family, no amount is too small. Thank you.
If this doesn’t make you upset with our legislators and our DA, I don’t know what will. How much more does it take to see how out of control our city is and it’s been allowed it by voting for people who refuse to see the truth. Instead they double-down. There are bad people that cause harm. It’s that simple. I don’t care who they are or what the reason is, an honest hard working man was killed for working at a retail store.
Isn’t this enough to finally make you see what’s really happening here? Will you finally pay attention to who is running who will be tougher on crime and shoplifting? Look at what happened.
Most of the comments were inappropriate and disgusting. Most should not have been published.
RIP my friend, I will miss you.