Brooklyn Whole Foods customer stabbed by strangers files lawsuit against store, and security
BROOKLYN, NY Sept 26 2021— A woman stabbed by a stranger at a Brooklyn Whole Foods two years ago says the store and its security guard should have protected her from the assault, according to a new lawsuit.
Diana Henriquez and her sister, Consuelo Murillo, filed a lawsuit this week against Whole Foods and its security staff for the July 2019 incident, when Henriquez was stabbed in the hand at the Gowanus store, according to the suit.
The man, Rodney Robinson, was charged with assault shortly after the incident, according to reports from the time.
“Whole Foods, their agents, servants and/or employees were negligent, reckless and careless in failing to exercise a reasonable standard of care,” the lawsuit reads, adding that the defendants had “actual knowledge” of Robinson’s propensity for violence.
The lawsuit does not go into detail about the store or the security guard, Wayne Tripp’s, previous knowledge about Robinson.
Henriquez, who lives in Brooklyn, was loading groceries into her sister’s car at the Whole Foods parking lot around 9:30 p.m. that night when Robinson approached her from behind, said “hello” and took out the knife, according to the New York Post report.
The two women got in their car and sped away after the incident, according to the Post.
A witness told the outlet at the time that it was a security guard, though he wasn’t named, who stepped in and stopped Robinson from escaping, pointing a gun at him and detaining him until police arrived, according to the report.
Robinson would be charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Henriquez and Murillo contend, though, that the security guard on duty should have prevented the stabbing from happening in the first place, according to the suit. They seek to hold Whole Foods and their security company, Elite Investigation, liable, records show.
Both Whole Foods and an attorney for Henriquez and Murillo did not respond to a request for comment from Patch. Tripp could not be reached for comment.
