Prosecutors on Monday charged an 18-year-old man with second-degree assault, accusing him of stabbing a convenience store clerk last week after the clerk asked him to leave because he wasn’t wearing a mask.
Seattle police arrested Edil Pineda-Mencia at his Northgate apartment Wednesday afternoon as he was leaving, according to probable-cause documents.
Pineda-Mencia, who told police he was intoxicated, walked into the 76 gas station in the 2100 block of North Northgate Way on Monday evening with another male, according to documents. The clerk asked Pineda-Mencia and the other male to leave because they were not wearing COVID-19 face masks, the charges allege.
Video surveillance shows Pineda-Mencia leaving and punching the glass door from outside, according to the charges. The clerk then walks out of the business and stands at the door, arguing with Pineda-Mencia over his behavior, according to documents. Pineda-Mencia then walked toward the clerk holding a knife behind his leg and stabbed the clerk in the abdomen and chest, according to documents.
The store’s surveillance video shows the clerk did not pose a physical threat to Pineda-Mencia, according to documents. The clerk was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he was hospitalized in stable condition.
Investigating officers obtained still photos from the video, which led police to identify the suspect following previous contacts, according to the documents.
The state requested Pineda’s bail be set at $150,000. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge on Dec. 6.
It was unclear whether he had an attorney.