Staff fear return to work after stabbing in Harlem

Employees are afraid to return to work at a Harlem fish market where one of their colleagues stabbed to death a man accused by store workers of stealing shrimp, a Manhattan prosecutor said Friday.

Around 9 a.m. Wednesday — the morning after Malik Burrell, 25, died allegedly after he was stabbed by an employee of Express Fish Market on St. Nicholas Place near W. 155th St. — “numerous” people yelled at employees and kicked the store’s entrance as it was about to open, said Manhattan Assistant DA Mireille Dee.

“The employees were scared, 911 was called and it was only after the police arrived and pushed everyone back that the workers were able to get out of the store safely,” Dee said.

“The employees have been too scared to return to the store since.”

Dee spoke at the Manhattan Criminal Court arraignment of Bobby Burrell, 29, who heard the charges against him from a hospital bed. He faces felony counts of second-degree and third-degree burglary. Burrell was released on personal-recognizance bail.

The suspect’s brother, Malik Burrell, 24, died in the incident Tuesday night after he was attacked by store worker Junior Aquino Hernandez.

Hernandez, 34 was initially charged by police with murder, assault and weapons possession — but those counts were reduced by the DA’s office to assault. The incident is still being investigated.

The drama was sparked by a fistfight between another worker and Bobby Burrell, who ordered shrimp then tried to leave without paying, police said.

Bobby Burrell left the store and returned four minutes later with his brother Malik, whose 25th birthday would have been on Wednesday.

There, the brothers walked behind the store’s counter and confronted the worker Bobby had fought moments earlier, say prosecutors. Malik repeatedly punched the store worker in the face, prosecutors say. The store worker, who has not been identified, was hospitalized.

The incident ended when Hernandez grabbed a knife and stabbed Malik Burrell twice in the torso, say prosecutors.

SAM COSTANZA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Junior Aquino Hernandez, outside Harlem police station, is charged with assault in the fatal stabbing at a Harlem fish market.