Medford delivers for stab victim
Residents raise funds for restaurant worker
Medford friends and neighbors are devastated after a delivery driver for a local Chinese restaurant was stabbed from behind and left for dead.
“This shouldn’t happen,” said Nick Catricala, owner of Bocellis Ristorante across the street from May’s Cafe. “He has two kids. He goes out to deliver food and almost gets killed. I’m shocked.”
On Saturday, Medford police, responding to a 911 call from a driver for May’s Cafe, found him lying on Washington Street at about 8:10 p.m.
The 42-year-old driver, who has been delivering for the restaurant for four years, was dropping off an order at 6 Washington St. when he was attacked and stabbed. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery. The man lost a kidney and his gallbladder in the violent ambush, his boss said. The father of a 5-year-old and 7-year-old is still at the hos- pital recovering. Police are looking for the attacker and accomplice who remain at large.
Saturday’s attack came after the restaurant received a strange order.
“I took the order,” said Raymond Wu, of May’s. “He called four times.”
Each call, Wu said, was strange and broken, with the customers changing their address for delivery twice.
At Washington Street, the driver opened his door to drop off a combination platter to a young woman when he was stabbed from behind, Wu said.
“The girl got scared and started screaming,” Wu said. “The driver said ‘don’t kill me.’ He managed to call 911. He said he got robbed and stabbed.”
Though robberies of delivery drivers are not uncommon in the business, Wu said it’s shocking someone would go as far as to harm another person.
“It’s scary,” Wu said. “Why hurt someone? He’s just trying to make a living.” Dozens of customers and neighbors have been donating to support the driver’s recovery since the attack — a show of compassion that has humbled Wu.
“The city of Medford is a real nice city with wonderful people,” Wu said. “Customers are sending cards. They are dropping by and asking about the driver and delivering donations. It’s really generous.”
A GoFundMe page had collected nearly $8,000 toward a $15,000 goal as of yesterday.
“So folks from Medford and our surrounding communities, let’s show this delivery driver and his family some love during this extremely difficult time. Please donate whatever you can, every last bit will help,” said Ali Newton of Medford, a neighbor who launched the donation page.
Medford police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call 781-395-1212.