A Turkish-origin employee of a gas station in New York City was killed as he was trying to stop a driver attempting to run away without paying a $22 gas bill.
Cemal Dağdeviren, the 59-year-old manager of the gas station located in Levittown in southern Nassau County, tried to stop the driver by standing in front of the vehicle.
The assailant – identified as a tall, thin black male with long hair in his 30s – hit Dağdeviren and ran him over. The father-of-two was brought to South Nassau Community Hospital with injuries, but lost his life despite efforts to save him.
Dec. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick of the Nassau County Police Department told the press that the assailant initially tried to make the payment with counterfeit credit cards and bills. When Dağdeviren noticed this, he tried to escape.
Fitzpatrick asked the public to reach out to the department if anyone has information regarding the assailant. In the footage distributed to the press, the suspect is seen driving a GMC Yukon SUV with a broken left headlight and without a license plate.
Dağdeviren, who had been living in the U.S. for the last 25 years, was described by his colleagues as a good person who loved his job and family, local media outlets reported.
