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A grocery store owner in Irishtown, N.B., is recovering after he was assaulted while trying to stop a theft.
Luo-Ping Zhao, the owner of Irishtown Grocery, says he’s touched by how the rural community has rallied around him in response.He says theft is becoming an increasingly common issue and has resorted to posting photos on his door of people he alleges stole from him in order to deter thefts.“It happens every few days, it keeps happening,” he said.
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On Tuesday, Zhao says he saw a man leave the store with seven bottles of liquor, so he chased after him without thinking.The man ended up hitting Zhao in the head with one of the liquor bottles. He posted security footage on social media and the community reacted with outrage.“After that, lots of people on Facebook and my customers, they come to see me just to care about me. So I’m feeling better because I know people still need me. I’m very happy,” he said.
Maple Hills Mayor Erica Warren says the store has been a staple of the community for decades and it’s one of the limited grocery options for locals.“People were surprised to see that level of aggression, anger, violence (in the theft),” she said.“I’m not surprised to hear that people are making sure he’s OK and looking in on him, that doesn’t surprise me at all.”For more on this story, watch the video above.
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