Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bodega Owner, His Machete, Robber's Ear & Finger
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 8, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 8, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Queens bodega owner defended his store against a gun-wielding robber by way of a machete. Johan Marte, who owns the Erick Deli Grocery in Woodhaven, explained to the Post, "He had a gun and I took him out."
The would-be robber, 28-year-old Omar Rodriguez, had fired twice before asking for money, but Marte managed to chop off the gunman's ear and finger. The Daily News has a photo of the robber that shows crime really doesn't pay - and Rodriguez is at Jamaica Hospital in serious but stable condition.
Marte said, "I cut his hand, I cut his finger, I cut everything. When the guy has a gun and you have a machete, it isn't easy." A resident spoke to the Daily News about Marte, "He doesn't bother nobody, unless you try to rob him. You do what you gotta do. He has all his money tied up in the store." Charges are expected against Rodriguez, while Marte was not charged since he acted in self-defense.
And last month, a convenience store employee scared off a would-be robber (armed with a fake gun) by wielding a huge axe.
Tagged
A Queens
bodega
crime
daily news
gun
hospital
Jamaica hospital
machete
money
news
queens
robbery
the daily news
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .