Fury as NYC liquor store owner is charged for shooting shoplifter who swiped a bottle of Ciroc vodka

A New York City liquor store owner has been charged after shooting a thief who attacked him inside his store, sparking fury with his union. 

Francisco Valerio, 53, is alleged to have caught two suspects stealing a bottle of Ciroc vodka inside Franja Wines and Liquors in Ridgewood, Queens, on Monday. 

Valerio and his brother Luis are said to have grabbed the suspects Edwin Poaquiza and Kevin Pullatasi, both 20, and shoved them towards the door of the store. 

The four then spilled onto the street outside with Poaquiza and Pullatasi then said to have engaged in a heated dispute with the brothers before leaving.

Poaquiza and Pullatasi then ran back towards the store, with Pullatasi throwing kicks and punches at the men, according to officials.

Valerio is then said to have took a swing at Pullatasi with his gun, which fired, hitting Pullatasi in the abdomen, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, which could see Valerio spend seven years behind bars.

Valerio, top right, is then said to have took a swing at Pullatasi with his gun, which fired, hitting Pullatasi in the abdomen. Pullatasi is seen here on the ground after being shot 

Surveillance footage captured inside and outside of the store shows the incident unfold, with Pullatasi stumbling to the ground after the shot was fired.  

In court on Tuesday, Valerio was arraigned on charges of assault in the second and third degrees, reckless endangerment in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. 

Judge Anthony Battisti ordered Valerio, who has a license for the pistol, to return to court July 29. 

While Poaquiza was arraigned on a charge petit larceny, he was ordered to return to court next month and faces up to 364 days behind bars. 

Pullatasi was taken to a local hospital where he is being treated for internal bleeding, with criminal charges against him still pending, according to the DA's office.  

District Attorney Melinda Katz said: 'Two crimes, inside and outside a liquor store, resulted in three people being charged in this case. 

'As alleged, brazen thieves stole merchandise from a neighborhood liquor shop. 

'After the store was targeted by these shoplifters, the stolen merchandise was recovered and the two men were escorted out of the store. 

'At that point, the store owner was physically attacked by one of the men. Unfortunately, as alleged, that led to a reckless shooting by the store owner on a public street in broad daylight. 

'All three of the defendants in this incident will have to answer charges against them.'

The United Bodegas of America released a statement asking for the charges against Valerio, seen here with his wife Jael, to be dropped

Valerio and his brother Luis are said to have grabbed the suspects Edwin Poaquiza and Kevin Pullatasi, both 20, and shoved them towards the door of the store

The United Bodegas of America released a statement asking for the charges against Valerio to be dropped. 

Group President Radahmes Rodriguez said: 'We are threatened, robbed, assaulted and looted every day, and the bad guys get away with it.

'They are freed without bail and nothing ever happens to them. When we fight back, we are jailed and in some cases prosecuted. This must stop.'

Outside the store earlier this week, brother Miguel Valerio said they had dealt with Poaquiza and Pullatasi before and are repeat offenders. 

He said: 'We are dealing with these guys all the time. All the time we ask them to leave, this time was different.

His wife Jael added: 'If he has to go to jail I don't know what the kids are going to do. He's one of the good ones.'

Fernando Mateo, spokesman for the group, added: 'We are once again asking DA Melinda Katz to drop the charges. 

'Mr. Valerio is an honorable man in society, this should not change his life.' 

Outside the store earlier this week, brother Miguel Valerio said they had dealt with Poaquiza and Pullatasi before and are repeat offenders

Valerio is alleged to have caught the two suspects hiding a bottle of Ciroc vodka into their jackets inside Franja Wines and Liquors

Israel Ruiz, who lives just a block away from the store, said it was a disgrace that Valerio has been charged by the DA's Office.

He told DailyMail.com: ‘I have lived in this neighborhood since 1978 and nothing like this has ever happened before.

‘It’s a disgrace that Francisco has been charged by the DA. Unfortunately the gun went off, it happens.

‘You have a right to defend yourself. I would have done exactly the same thing- I’m a Vietnam veteran.

‘I know the owner he’s a nice guy, the people that run the store are good people everyone knows them.

‘They aren’t the type of people who just hurt people. I think the DA should drop the charges, it’s not fair. Guys like that are messing up for everyone in the country.’

Alba was famously charged by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg but was freed after widespread public outrage 

Alba was released from Rikers Island after his bail was lowered from $250,000 to $50,000

In July of 2022, Jose Alba was freed and had his charges dropped after he stabbed a career criminal to death in self-defense. 

Alba was arrested for stabbing Austin Simon after he charged into the Harlem bodega where he worked and attacked him. 

Alba had refused to open a tab for his girlfriend, who couldn't pay for a bag of chips. He was charged with second-degree murder.

Alba was famously charged by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg but was freed after widespread public outrage. He gave up on New York afterwards, moving to the Dominican Republic. 

Mayor Eric Adams offered his support for Alba at the time, declaring him to be a 'hard-working New Yorker' who was just 'doing his job, and someone aggressively went behind the counter to attack him'.

Earlier this year, former President Donald Trump visited the same bodega in Hamilton Heights as he met with the new owners.