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Homeless Man Indicted for Murder in Shooting Death of Deli Worker in Ozone Park Store: DA

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.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

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Larry B. plovnick

i’ve been steven cohen’s best friend since 1971,he is really not that type of person and i spoke to him over ther phone and on my gmail shortly before this all happened. he has been a lindenwood resident since 1965, his life suddenly took a turn for the worse when his father got sick and had to be placed in a home facility. steven has taken care of his parents needs all his life and lived with them all his life. after his father was put in a facility, his mother Lorraine now 86 had a problem walking especially that they had a walk up garden apt. to the 2nd floor. his mother then couldn’t take living that way anymore and turned to the daughter stevens sister sheryl now 60 who has been living the life of luxury and is self – centered and greedy. his mother Lorraine made a deal with Sheryl to put her in an assisted living home in Boca Raton,fl. and take care of the sale of the apt. which made Steven Cohen homeless. they both didn’t do a thing to help him find a place to live. in return, lorraine gave sheryl power of attourney and sheryl being as self-centered and greedy as she is, would leave Steven out in the street and the mopther now favoring Sheryl didn’t look to help him either.. steven cohen in the past and present has been seeing doctors and psyciatrists and normally if you ever met Steven for the first time would find him pleasant and totally normal and would get along with him right away. but if Steven was prevoked and have to either think he was off his meds or his meds should have been changed being he was suddenly living out in the street, and altho i am defending him and speculating, it is possible that those 2 workers did threaten him and did something to provoke him and put him him in an even more down state of mind that ended in this tragic result. i beg the court when he is scheduled to return Feb.,8,2021 to go easy on him and at least give him the proper help he needs and not 25 years to life. those 2 members of his family his sister and mother were supposed to of helped him, especially his sister who should have helped him find a place to live and not of left him out in the street. that previous incident that went back to 1982 when he was charged with assault should be thrown out as he was defending himself in self defense when his neibor pulled a weapon out on him and theatened his life and he had a right to defend himself. i heard he did have 1 more incident in the early 2000’s in a waldbaums supermarket but don’t fully know the whole story on that but noticed he was still living at home after that occured and must have been a misdemeanor as he was released on his recognicence after that incidence.

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Larry B. Plovnick

plese if possible give steven cohen’s defense attourney the above comment i printed. it’s likely he will be at either Kew Gardens court house or Jamaica court house on feb.,8,2021.

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