A security guard for a CVS store in Manhattan is facing murder charges for allegedly stabbing a serial shoplifter to death on Thursday, according to police.
The incident occurred just after midnight at the chain’s Times Square location on Broadway and 49th Street, NBC New York reported.
The security guard, Scott Enoe, reportedly tried to stop the man from stealing from the store. The men then fought, and Enoe allegedly ended up stabbing the man, according to police.
“Sources said Enoe tried to stop the would-be thief from stealing Gatorade and a container of creamer,” the report states.
Enoe’s mother told the Daily News the man who died started the fight, and her son was acting in self-defense.
“The guy came in and started arguing with Scotty. Next thing you know, Scotty was on the ground. He acted in self-defense,” Lucille Enoe told the outlet. “When the guy threw him down and started beating him up, Scotty stabbed him.”
Law enforcement sources said the accused shoplifter, who has not yet been named by officials, had been arrested 18 times in 2023 alone for petit larceny and burglary.
Street vendor Modo Gui, who witnessed the incident, told the Daily News the man who died “was a homeless guy.”
“He had a big problem with the security guard, with the CVS,” Gui said.
Enoe, a Brooklyn resident, is facing charges of murder and weapons possession.
“The stabbing comes as shoplifting in this part of Manhattan continues to be a problem. Petit larceny is up more than 14 percent this year over 2022, and more than 50 percent compared to the same period in 2021,” according to the report.
