Laundry delay turns violent as employee stabbed by enraged customer

An incident at a Brooklyn laundromat left a female worker hospitalized after a customer allegedly stabbed her over delayed laundry service. 

According to police and the business owner, the attack unfolded just before 2 p.m. when a male customer became enraged upon learning his $15.34 wash-and-fold order was not ready for pickup. The suspect reportedly jumped onto the counter and slashed the worker’s neck and arms.

Emergency medical services transported the victim, described as a woman in her 50s, to NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn. Police reported she was in stable condition.

A coworker of the victim, who requested anonymity, told reporters, “She’s still in the hospital. We don’t know. She [was] cut [in] the neck. Too much blood. It’s very scary.” She also said that the suspect got “mad” and “crazy” when he was told his clothes weren’t ready when he came to pick them up. The employee added that the laundromat had been busy, causing service delays. 

The assailant fled the scene immediately after the attack, running north on 21st Avenue toward Benson Avenue, according to the New York Police Department. Authorities described the suspect as wearing a gray shirt and white sneakers at the time of the incident.

Speaking to local media, the laundromat owner confirmed that the suspect had dropped off items earlier that morning. The owner stated the customer became irate upon discovering his laundry was not ready at the expected time.

Surveillance footage captured the assault, which a coworker later viewed. The employee recognized the attacker as a semi-regular customer who visits the establishment every month or two. She also mentioned that the suspect’s mother reportedly lives across the street from the laundromat.

Attempts to contact the suspect using the number on his laundry ticket have not succeeded. The investigation is still active and ongoing.