August 2, 2025 EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn — A quiet Friday afternoon in East New York turned into a tragedy when a deli worker was fatally stabbed during a dispute over loose cigarettes. The victim, identified as Diego Sandoval-Nava, a 33-year-old father, was working at a bodega on Hegeman Avenue when the violent confrontation occurred. Police are actively searching for the suspect.
According to the NYPD, the suspect, who has not yet been identified, entered the deli around 3 p.m. acting erratically. He left the store but returned minutes later, attempting to go behind the counter where the cigarettes were kept. When Sandoval-Nava tried to stop him, the suspect stabbed him multiple times in the stomach before fleeing the scene.
Sandoval-Nava was rushed to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center but sadly died from his injuries.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the community. Fernando Mateo of the United Bodegas of America expressed disbelief and sorrow. "How could someone take someone's life over loosies, over cigarettes?" he asked. "It's crazy what is going on with some people. We don't understand how you can take someone's life, a young man's life, over cigarettes."
Friends and neighbors remember Sandoval-Nava as a dedicated and kindhearted man who lived above the deli. A friend named Andy described him as a caring individual who would often check on others and offer them food. "He would help other people outside, making sure they're doing okay, feeding them. For me, he was always making sure I'm okay," Andy said.
