On October 23, 2025, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced that Christian Diaz, 28, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison for the fatal stabbing of Ahmed Almulaiki, a 34-year-old deli worker, in East Harlem. The incident happened on October 19, 2021, at a deli at 1980 2nd Avenue, where Almulaiki was working with a 25-year-old co-worker.
Court records state that Diaz entered the deli late at night and became confrontational after being denied an item on store credit. He threatened both workers and implied he was armed before leaving the store. Diaz returned shortly after, and a confrontation occurred outside the deli. Almulaiki had a golf club, and his co-worker had a stick. During the altercation, Diaz took the golf club and stabbed Almulaiki in the arm and torso.
Diaz fled the scene after the attack. Almulaiki re-entered the deli before collapsing and was later pronounced dead at the hospital from a stab wound to his torso. Police apprehended Diaz in May 2022 after several months…