'Devastated And Shocked'; Family Mourns Mia Sala, Delivery Worker Stabbed To Death During Attempted Robbery
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The family of a delivery worker who was killed in New York City over the weekend is speaking out.
Tears streaked down 44-year-old Muhammad Ahsan's face as he thought about his brother-in-law's last moments, CBS2's Christina Fan reported Monday.
Surveillance video from Saturday morning shows a suspect sitting down next to 51-year-old Mia Sala at Sara D. Roosevelt Park before fatally stabbing him.
"They're devastated and shocked. They can't believe it," Ahsan said.
Sala was a delivery worker for GrubHub. His family said he would often work 10-12-hour days and was saving money for his wife and two children in Bangladesh, one day hoping to bring them to the U.S.
Sala had just finished a long shift and was stopping for a rest when a suspect tried to steal his e-bike and stabbed him in the face and stomach.
"You didn't even murder one guy. You murdered... you stopped their future," said Ahsan.
Ahsan said his brother-in-law came to the U.S. to escape political persecution back home. His family never expected he would be murdered in what they believed was the greatest country in the world.
According to the organization Los Deliveristas Unidos, Sala is the 12th delivery worker killed this year. While most of the fatalities have been traffic related, the group said it's receiving an alarming 50-100 reports of robberies every day from workers.
"The solution is very simple -- the NYPD has to make people accountable for the crimes they commit," Los Deliveristas Unidos' Hildalyn Colon-Hernandez said.
A recent survey found 54% of delivery workers reported being robbed. Many say when they call 911, they're brushed off.
"I feel like sometimes nobody cares about it. They don't see us as hard workers," delivery worker Rafael Islas said.
Ahsan said he's pleading for the city to make the streets safer for delivery workers, many of whom have experienced attacks.
"The same is happening. It's not only one day, it's not only him. It's not only in Brooklyn, it's not in Manhattan. It's all over the city," said Ahsan.
Sala's family said he had been stabbed in another attempted robbery before this fatal attack. A thick, winter jacket he wore likely saved his life that time.
Sala's family and advocates are planning a rally at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in the coming days to fight for better protections for delivery workers.
