On the evening of February 14, 2020, 34-year-old Yehya Almontaser was shot inside B&A Gourmet Deli at East 137th Street and Brook Avenue in Mott Haven. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital and pronounced dead.

Surveillance footage captured a person of interest described as a man at least 5 feet 5 inches tall, wearing a blue reflective jacket with a fur collar and using a cane. The Yemeni American Merchant’s Association offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Family and neighbors remembered Almontaser as a friendly deli worker who had recently become a U.S. citizen, and a makeshift memorial of candles and red roses was placed outside the store.

Police said the motive was unclear and were probing whether a dispute between the victim and the assailant played a role. If anyone has information that could help the investigation, please come forward.