Angel Candido is desribed by myfoxny.com as a combination cleaning man and stock clerk who works an overnight shift at the Met Foodmarket in Jamaica, Queens. While Mos Eisely may have been a wretched hive of scum and villainy, there are plenty of parts of Jamaica where that description would be evidence of successful urban renewal. Anyway, Candido was in a small crawlspace below the store’s office taking a little catnap last night (don’t ask). Fortunately, he had the foresight to keep a 12 gauge with him as a personal defense woobie . . .

He was roused from his dreams of rainbows and starfish about 2:00 a.m. this morning by the sound of two burglars rattling around above him.

He watched silently as the burglars, who had cut a hole in the roof, made their way to the office safe.

But then he grabbed hold of the shotgun — which he keeps with him when he sleeps — and fired a single blast.

Mamadou Koureichi, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene with a wound to the torso.

His unidentified accomplice fled, leaving the burglary tools behind.

Mr. Koureichi breathed his last right there in the store. There’s no word yet as to whether the store owner will make Candido clean the brown streak the escaping burglar no doubt left behind him as he ran from the scene.

Police at the 103rd Precinct questioned him, but Queens District Attorney Richard Brown declined to prosecute since Candido is considered a victim in the case. The weapon is registered to the store’s owner.

And this, in a part of New York City. Sure, it may be small progress but in New York City, it’s progress worth noting.

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23 COMMENTS

  1. Even in that small crawl space Candido was able to maneuver that 12 gauge? Must be a magician. Laugh.

    • Can’t believe I haven’t been flamed for re-introducing the “Are long guns best or worst for indoors defense?” bit. For many people, though not all, a reasonably short shotgun is just the ticket….to hell for the perp. Guessing distances and loading here, the six inch pellet spread at twenty feet may have made all the difference to a guy roused from a cat-nap.

  2. Victims who defend themselves in their own homes and businesses with registered guns are rarely prosecuted in New York City.

    This case is a little different, since the shotty was not registered to the shooter. Still, making a case against him would be impossible. The gun was left in the store. He grabbed it in defense of his life. Even in New York, that’s not the kind of conduct that can be prosecuted.

  4. To state the obvious, those burglars most likely did not see that one coming. Good story though, shows that them New York City kids don’t all think that firearms are bad. Remember, your firearm is your friend; it will never leave your side.

  5. Perhaps I need to get out more, but I have never in my life seen a grocery store (or any other establishment) surrounded by a cage like that.

  6. Candido was in a small crawlspace below the store’s office taking a little catnap last night (don’t ask).

    That actually is more interesting than him shooting the BGs.

  7. From the myfoxny article:

    “The independently owned store sells groceries but also carries money orders, MetroCards and lottery tickets and often has large amounts of cash on hand, sources said.”

    Gee, thanks myfoxny. I’ll bet the store owner is very thankful you chose to emphasize that little tidbit of information.

    • Now they’re going to have to pay Candido time-and-a-half to take those little catnaps.

    • I’m gonna guess the locals already knew, which wass at least part of the reason Angel was catnapping with the owner’s shotgun.

      • I’m gonna guess you are right. I’m also gonna guess nobody wants to say that because the guy wasn’t licensed to use a gun as an actual requirement or intended function of his employment. “That’s my story, an’ I’m stickin’ to it.” Successfully, I would hope.

        • I’m curious, asking New Yorkers: Many states require a special course and license if you are expected to use a firearm as part of your job. Simply having a gun on premises for incidental defense would not trigger the need, but effectively working as a guard off-hours would. New York City has no such requirement?

      • Usually ‘large amounts of cash on hand’ are one of the things that qualifies a business owner to obtain a permit to have a gun on premises in the first place. So the presence of a permit likely means either the owner is connected or the cops figured he was a robbery target.

    • Jamaica is a part of Queens. It is the transfer station for the Long Island RailRoad. Typically the conductors will advice out-of-towners to stay put and not transfer here…

  10. I hope the store owner will at least cover any current and future medial bills for Mr. Candido, especially if he’ll need a hearing aid. I wonder how long it took the ringing to stop.

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