NYC Liquor Store Owner Faces Charge after Shooting Shoplifting Suspect

Tension and outcry are simmering among New Yorkers as they rally behind Francisco Valerio, a local liquor store owner facing severe charges. Valerio shot a man identified on surveillance footage shoplifting from his store on Wyckoff Avenue.

The footage, shared in parts by WABC-TV, features two men – Edwin Poaquiza and Kevin Pullatasi – entering the establishment. As Valerio and another customer confront the pair, Poaquiza is accused of off-camera theft, while Pullatasi seems to hide a bottle of liquor in his jacket. After a customer tells Pullatasi to return the bottle, both men are expelled from the store.

Footage from the exterior of the store introduces a new development – Pullatasi returns and seems to challenge Valerio to a fight. In response, Valerio produces a gun, strikes Pullatasi, and a shot is discharged.

Pullatasi, aged 20, sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Valerio, when questioned by a detective, labelled the shooting as accidental, while supporters argue it was an act of self-defense.

Yet, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz leveled heavy charges against Valerio, exceeding those attributed to the shoplifter. She stated,

“Two crimes resulted in three people being charged. The store owner was physically attacked by one of the men. Unfortunately, as alleged, that led to a reckless shooting by the store owner on a public street in broad daylight.”

Accused of assault in the second and third degrees, reckless endangerment in the first degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, Valerio faces potentially significant penalties, per Katz’s office press release. Meanwhile, Pullatasi is likely to encounter only assault and petit larceny charges.

Supporters of Valerio argue that he was defending himself in a threatening situation. Johnny Nunez, a friend of Valerio’s family, said,

“It’s all based through the eyes of the person who was involved. Only Frank knows the circumstances that he was facing. We have one crime, one crime. They were stealing. Frank did not commit a crime.”

Jael Valerio, Francisco’s wife of three decades, fears the consequences of a conviction, which could result in the loss of their store and her husband’s freedom.

“These few days have been very, very hard. You would think somebody that is always doing the right thing, by others, by his peers, by everybody, and then this small incident happen, and he can lose his freedom over that? I don’t know what to say,” she lamented, adding, “If he has to go to jail, I don’t know what the kids are going to do.”

The Valerio family also revealed that Francisco holds a permit to carry concealed. His brother, Miguel Valerio, stated that both alleged thieves were not unfamiliar figures to the family.

“It’s been bad. We’ve been dealing with these guys all the time. And all the time, we ask them to leave. But this time was different,” he expressed.

Francisco’s defense was further amplified when Fernando Mateo of the United Bodegas of America organized a press conference. He urged the district attorney to dismiss the charges against Valerio, who, at 53, has no previous criminal record.

“Francisco did not know what [the suspect] had in his hand. Could’ve been a gun, could’ve been a knife,” Mateo argued. He added, “New York is our witness. We’re not asking the district attorney for anything that’s not fair.”

Supporters, including his wife, continue to ask for justice for Valerio. “Do the right thing by him. He’s one of the good ones,” she fervently expressed.

Watch a local news report about the incident below:

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