A San Francisco store clerk who was attacked by a thief last week has died of injuries, after being in a coma for a week, confirmed by his family.

The victim has been identified as Yowhannes Tewelde. As per his family, he died on Tuesday shortly before 2:30 p.m.

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Who was Yowhannes Tewelde?

Yowhannes Tewelde was 60 years old. He was also known as ‘John’. He went into a coma after the assault that took place last Thursday at a market situated in the Outer Richmond District at the intersection of Balboa and 41st avenues.

He sustained a brain injury when he intervened to stop a thief who assaulted him while he was on duty at a local neighborhood market. Meron Tewelde, his daughter, revealed that even after undergoing two surgeries, he never regained consciousness. She said, “I was at home. I get a call from my mom. My dad is in the hospital. I didn’t think it was this severe. Here we are.”

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The market owner revealed that the incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday when the individual responsible for the assault initially entered the store and stole water. He returned ten minutes later to pilfer two beers.

The owner said Yowhannes attempted to deter the thief by wielding a bat near the store’s entrance. Unfortunately, the man, as captured in surveillance footage, managed to knock him down, resulting in Yowhannes hitting his head on the ground. Allegedly, the same individual then proceeded to use the bat to strike Yowhannes before making a swift getaway. Presently, the man remains at large and unidentified.

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As per media reports, Yowhannes had obtained U.S. citizenship merely eight months ago. Additionally, he had undergone heart surgery in March, further highlighting the challenges he had faced before the tragic incident.

Meron said, “Right after his heart surgery, he didn’t wait to go back to work because he wanted to be there. There’s something about that community he loves. He loves everyone there.”