137-02 Cross Bay Blvd. (Google Maps)
Dec. 8, 2020 By Christian Murray
A homeless man who fatally shot a worker inside an Ozone Park deli in October has been indicted for murder.
Steven Cohen, 63, shot at two employees inside the Crossbay Express Deli on Oct. 26, killing Tarwala Mahmadkhurshid, 26, while missing a second deli worker.
According to the charges, Cohen entered the 137-02 Cross Bay Blvd. store at around 6:15 p.m. and became embroiled in an argument with Mahmadkhurshid and was ordered to leave.
Cohen came back with a gun and shot Mahmadkhurshid in the abdomen, killing him. He fired at the other worker but missed.
An off-duty police officer was inside the store at the time of the shooting and disarmed Cohen. The officer held Cohen at the store until other officers arrived.
“The defendant’s alleged actions took the life of one man, and could have ended with another man being killed if not for the brave actions of an off-duty police officer who selflessly stepped in and disarmed the defendant,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement.
Cohen, who has no known address, was arraigned Monday on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, among other charges. He has been held without bail and ordered to return to court on Feb. 8, 2021.
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