A thief assaulted a Trader Joe’s employee in Manhattan with a trash-can lid when the worker tried to prevent the thief from leaving the store on Wednesday, according to police.
The incident took place at the Trader Joe’s store on Sixth Avenue near West 22nd Street in the Flatiron District, which has been experiencing a high number of vacancies, around 10:50 a.m. The thief entered the store and stole an unspecified amount of merchandise before attempting to leave, police said.
When a 40-year-old male employee intervened to stop the thief, the culprit grabbed a garbage-can lid and hit the worker with it, authorities reported.
The thief fled the scene, heading north on Sixth Avenue, and was still at large as of Wednesday afternoon.
The employee declined medical attention for minor injuries.
Just days after The Post reported that several major retailers in the Flatiron District, including Lowes, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Staples, have closed their doors over the past few years, this incident occurred.