Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Beloved Store Clerk Puts Children Through College, Beat to Death by Shoplifter, on the Run

Episode Date: August 31, 2023

For as long as anyone can remember, Yowhannes "John" Tewelde has been the clerk at the Richmond Market in San Francisco.  He works 7 days a week, raising his two daughters to be educated and accomplished. Less than a year ago Tewolde became a US Citizen. Just 4 months after that celebration, Tewolde underwent heart surgery, then returned to work at the earliest opportunity. The 60-year-old clerk was beaten by a suspect trying to steal beer. It was the second time that day that the suspect tried to shoplift. The owner says Tewolde tried to stop the thief,  but the suspect knocked Tewolde down, causing him to hit his head on the ground. He died after days in a coma. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Marjan Philhour- Customer/neighbor/local parent/small business and community advocate, Co-founder of the Balboa Village Merchants Association, Go Fund Me: Violent crime in Richmond District https://www.gofundme.com/f/outer-richmond-community  Jarrett Ferentino – Pennsylvania Attorney/Homicide Prosecutor; Facebook & Instagram: Jarrett Ferentino  Caryn L. Stark - Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Jason Jensen – Private Investigator (Jensen Private Investigations), Cold Case Expert (Salt Lake City, UT), and Co-founder: “Cold Case Coalition;” Investigations; Twitter: @JasonJPI, Facebook/Instagram: “Jensen Investigations” Andy Kahan - Director of Victim Services and Advocacy at Crime Stoppers of Houston, crime-stoppers.org   Dr. Othon Mena - Forensic Pathologist (working as a medical examiner in Southern California) Alexis Tereszcuk - CrimeOnline.com Investigative Reporter, Writer/Fact Checker, Lead Stories.Com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Now, here's a dad that never missed a day's work. He reminds me so much of my father who never missed a day of work at the railroad. Even sometimes he would go when he was having chest pains. He was a heart patient. Mr. Tewaldi worked seven days a week helping his children advance. He never missed going to work because he wanted to help them move forward with school and have a better life. Seven days a week. This after he has heart surgery they

beg him to stay home but no he did not want to miss work and he did so why is that this man working at the store, the mini mart, the grocery, right around the corner, minding his own business, is beaten so badly in the head, trying to stop a shoplifter, that he is beaten into a brain coma.

And then Mr. Tualdi dies. Why? The killer, the shoplifter, is on the loose. He's on the run. And I want him behind bars. When will it stop? See those pictures on our iPads and our iPhones or on TV of people, a group of guys in hoodies. You can't make out their face. They run into some high-end store like Nordstrom's or Saks. And they're such idiots. They're actually pulling the items that are chained to the tables, the display tables. The tables are being pulled along with them. They take thousands and thousands of dollars

of fancy pocketbooks and clothing, designer clothing, whatever they can get their hands on. But now, this father is dead. It's not just grabbing some overpriced pocketbook that some rich socialite or Kim Kardashian is going to buy. They have actually killed someone that tried to stop them from stealing beer. I don't know how long this is going to be allowed.

We read about it every week. An employee at Home Depot, an employee here, an employee there, attacked and killed by a shoplifter. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Fox Nation and Sirius XM 111. You may think in your mind, well, I don't know John Tawaldi. I don't know his children. What is that to me? That happened far, far away. Of course, in San Francisco, again. But next time, it may be your grandfather, your uncle, your father.

This is happening all over the country. Why? Why is it being allowed? If we don't do something about it, if we don't speak out, who will speak out when it happens to us? Listen to our friends at KPIX. At the Richmond market, cards and flowers have been left for him. Residents in the area know him as John.

A note outside the store reads, praying for your full recovery and justice John, we love you and Nancy. Nancy is known as John's cat. She hangs out inside the store. Customers know both of them. We live a block away right so to be able to come up here play with a super cute cat, get an ice cream cone, and talk to him. He was always very friendly. When I heard that, it immediately reminded me of when I had left the district attorney's office after 10 years prosecuting in inner city Atlanta and took a job on a lark in New York City.

I knew nobody at all to go co-anchor with Johnny Cochran, God rest his soul. And I made two friends. Their names were Candy and Lollipop. They were two cats that lived down the street in a candy store. The first people that I met, the first creatures I met in New York. And this man, the deceased, the victim, Johannes Tewaldi, took care of Nancy and they became basically a legend in their neighborhood. Listen to KTVU. The attack happened at this corner market on Balboa and 41st Avenue. The family tells me they want the suspect caught before he harms

someone else. I just want my dad awake, but I want justice. The family of Johannes Tawelde is in shock that he's in a coma at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. They say he suffered a brain injury while trying to stop a theft suspect who attacked him while he was working at a neighborhood market. He had been working at this market for years and years. Again, seven days a week. You hear the daughter crying, I just want my dad to wake up. I just want my dad to wake up. I remember thinking that same thing before my dad passed away. I just want him to wake up I remember thinking that same thing before my dad passed away I

just want him to wake up he did not wake up listen to Jocelyn Moran Miron Tawalde says her father Johannes was working at the Richmond market when a man tried to steal water she says he let him go but then he tried stealing beer too that's when Johannes tried stopping him. San Francisco police say they arrived at around 9.30 p.m. and located a 60-year-old male victim lying on the ground unconscious. They never heard something going on. She came, called 911, was there holding his hand the whole time until he got to the hospital.

And more from KRON. enough. Tualde grabbed the baseball bat to defend himself while attempting to stop a second theft. San Francisco police say the suspect assaulted Tualde, knocked him to the ground, took the bat away and hit him with it, leaving him unconscious. Wow, the way they say that, that's certainly the airbrushed version. He assaulted him. He beat the 60-year-old store manager, the clerk, in the head with a baseball bat. He went into a coma, and now he's dead. With me, an all-star panel to make sense of what we know right now. But first, I want to go to a special guest joining us dr. Othan menna forensic pathologist medical examiner in Southern California this is your neck of the wood dr. menna dr. menna I'm just a JD you're

the MD why would he go into a coma as they have said it, a brain coma, but it's a coma, and die. How does that happen? Well, there are several possibilities. First, he may have been injured when falling to the ground, and then if subsequently struck in the head, then that can be another source of injury. So basically, when one examines these folks from outside in, there could be skull fractures. They could be bleeding around the brain. There are different layers where that can happen or there can be direct trauma to the brain, such as a bruising or contusion or more severely injury to the neurons or the cells within the brain.

What is bleeding to the neurons or the cells within the brain. What is bleeding to the brain? Well, that can be a direct result from a skull fracture, meaning that a vessel can tear as a result of the bone fracturing. But what can also happen is even without a fracture, small veins around the brain can tear just from falling and striking one's head or from being hit in the head. And those little veins can produce bleeding that can then push on it, push on the brain. And that can lead then to a mass forming a hematoma and that can cause herniation of the brain. So the brain will essentially, because it's a limited space within the skull, it can be pushed towards another area and that can then cause other complications such as reduced blood flow,

reduced oxygen, and so on. Guys, it's happening all over our country, our great country. Shoplifters, when confronted, turn on the employee and kill them. Take a listen to our Cut 15, our friends at WVLT. This happened at the Rural King. Listen. Unfortunately, we have a sad situation here today at Rural King here in the Halls community. A situation that left a store employee dead. Police say a shoplifter tried stealing ammunition when he was confronted by a store employee. The shoplifter ran outside to the back of the store where authorities say he shot and killed the

employee before running off. Police say the suspect is still on the loose and is being called armed and dangerous. And at the right aid. Take a listen to our cut 14 from KABC. An accused killer now charged in the right aid shooting in Glassell Park. 20-year-old Anthony Lemus faces one count each of murder and second-degree robbery. Prosecutors say he shot and killed Rite Aid employee Miguel Penalosa earlier this month. Police say Lemus and another man were trying to steal beer and Penalosa confronted him.

And when the employee confronted them, he was murdered right then and there. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. To Karen Stark joining us, renowned psychologist out of New York, TV radio trauma expert. You can find her at Karen stark comm that's Karen with a C in case you're looking for her Karen the dichotomy always makes me stop and it takes a lot to make me stop I've seen so many crimes and just try to to figure out. But I know now I can't figure it out. The dichotomy of it being a normal day. I remember when I walked out of that

statistics exam at Mercer University inside the building, it was dark. I came out and the sun was shining and I thought, wow, what a beautiful day. And I started walking to my job at the library. And the next thing I know, my life changed. My fiance had been murdered. And here are these people, they leave their family in the morning, bye honey, kiss the children, give them a hug, see you tonight at dinner. And they're gunned down at work. And this guy, a 60 year old guy, came back to work after heart surgery, trying to get his children through college, through education, is beaten dead by somebody trying to steal two beers. The dichotomy of how quickly it all happens.

His family must be just writhing in pain. With no way, Nancy, to be able to predict, no way to be able to cope. It's not like a long illness and then the person at the end is dying, which is bad enough. But here it is where they say goodbye and they have no idea. They will never see the person at the end is dying, which is bad enough. But here it is where they say goodbye. And they have no idea. They will never see the person again, which is exactly what happened to you. It's just so shocking. And you never, it's the reason that every moment when you're with people is so precious.

Because life can be taken away. But I want to say that things seem to me to have gotten much more violent. I mean, here's the story where this very good Samaritan, this good guy, he sees them taking something and does nothing. And he knows the guy is stealing and he lets him go and then this guy comes back again and does it again. It's just outrageous. And this guy is on the loose. He hasn't been caught and this family just hanging in the wind in pain. It's happening all over our country. When are we going to demand justice? Here you go. Here's the Home Depot employee now dead and of all places Pleasanton. Take a listen to our cut 16 KTVU. Family co-workers and Pleasanton police are in shock after Home Depot worker Blake Mose was shot and killed while

trying to stop a theft. Unfortunately, Blake's life was cut short by this senseless act of violence that started with a theft and turned into a robbery and ended in his murder. At about 2.15 Tuesday afternoon, Mose tried to stop this woman, Benicia Knapps, after police say she stole an electrical item and ran to the loading dock area in the back of the store. The female suspect pulled out a handgun and fired a shot at Blake. Mose died at a hospital. He was 26 years old. Just like that. Bam. It's over. Here's a Home Depot worker. 82.

You know when you go into a Walmart, and I think Home Depot too. They have greeters. Usually senior citizens. Somebody kills an 82 year old senior. Take a listen to our cut 18. Our friends at ABC. An 82 year old Home Depot employee who was assaulted back in October in Hillsboro has now died from his injuries. Police say the employee was trying to stop the man who was stealing from the store. You can see the worker approaches the man who then pushes him down and continues walking away. The medical examiner ruling the man's death a homicide.

Tonight, Hillsborough police are still searching for that man, who, as you see right here, had three boxes in that shopping cart with pressure washing equipment made by Ryobi. The man took off in a white four-door Hyundai Sonata. I've got this whole stack of cases where employees doing their job, minding their own business, families at home, are murdered at work by shoplifters. And what? We just let it keep happening and happening and happening? Andy Kahn, when is this going to stop?

You know, Andy is joining me, Director of Victim Services and Advocacy Crime Stoppers out of Houston. Andy, I think I've told you in the past, my first case that I ever prosecuted was a shoplifting. Where the guy actually didn't take anything out of the store. But don't worry, I got a conviction, attempted shoplifting. And I always thought, wow, my first case is going to be, you know, this bank robbery or a murderer or Rico. It was a shoplifting. And that's taking on a whole new dimension because of victims, decent victims like Mr. Tawaldi. I'm just, when is it going to stop? And in San Francisco, it's as if the criminals are running the city.

I can tell you, Nancy, as a board member of Parents and Murdered Children and Surviving Family Members of Hom homicide, that grief is intensified when justice is lacking. And sadly, right now, justice is lacking for John and his family. I wish, like you've been saying, this was an anomaly, this is a rare occasion, but the domino effect of property crime and how we continue to label those who commit property crimes as, quote, nonviolent crimes are wrecking havoc in the community. You have some sections in the United States of America that are now calling nonviolent offenders, and I can't make this up they're now called justice challenged individuals wait stop who said that who was saying justice challenged where i have officials in harris

county in houston texas that are now using verbiage for inmates fel felons, offenders. They're calling them justice-challenged individuals. And I'm just trying not to laugh because you can't make this stuff up. You know what? It's all funny to some people that property crimes are committed by justice-challenged people until they turn on innocent victims

like Mr. Tawaldi and beat him dead with a baseball bat over two beers. Alexis Tereszczuk joining me, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. Alexis, what exactly happened? So the suspect walked into the market and he stole water. He stole bottles of water and he walked out of the store john did nothing he let him go it's just water but then the guy came back and he tried to steal beer again and he was so he he tried to stop him he picked up a baseball bat that

he had for protection at the store because obviously this is not a one-off thing clearly bad things are happening repeatedly. Yeah, I looked at the pictures, Alexis, and I see the burglar bars on all the windows of this little store. So go ahead. And so he tried to stop him. He didn't hit him. He didn't shoot him with a gun. He just tried to stop him from leaving the store with the beer.

And this man shoved him. He shoved him to the ground. The bat fell. He picked up the bat and started beating him while he was lying on the ground. He had never been hit, and he, in turn, beat this man to death. I'm looking at one particular photo right now, and you see the defendant very clearly he is a light to medium skinned male and judging by the fact that he's standing next to a display and his head is taller than the the top of the display it's one of those

chip displays you see right as you check out. This guy is between 5'10 and 6 feet tall. He is light skinned. He has close cut black hair. He has dark eyes. He has a goatee, more like a soul patch he has a very light facial hair that is a wannabe mustache he's standing there in red shorts and a black t-shirt no insignia with black socks and expensive white athletic shoes that they're not Nike but I've looked at that type before they're expensive and he's holding two beers in his hands and he's looking at Johan John Tualde and Tualde is pointing his hand you can see Tualde's hand in the picture I've studied it carefully with his left hand he's saying put that back put that back probably speaking to him as he would to his grandson or his son put that back no put that back i can just hear it ringing

in my ears right now joining me we are very blessed today to have marjahn Philhauer joining us from that jurisdiction, customer, neighbor, parent, small business advocate. Listen to this. She's the co-founder of the Balboa Village Merchants Association. She knows all about this case. Ms. Philhauer, thank you for being with us. Thank you. Thank you, Nancy. And I want to make sure, I mean, these horrific details, we can't forget about the kind man in the middle of this all. He was part of our neighborhood family. I was born in this neighborhood, and I'm raising my three kids here who were also born in this neighborhood. It takes us 60 seconds to walk to Richmond Market. It was the first place I ever let my kids walk to

on their own because John was there. He was such a kind man and it struck me on one occasion when my three kids walked back into the house chattering about what they bought, whatever it was, whether it was Doritos, drumstick ice cream. But when I listened more closely, they were actually talking about John and Nancy. They were talking about petting Nancy the cat. They were talking about John and their purchases and his warm smile and how they made him. He was part of building their confidence, and he didn't have to work. He cared about this community. He cared about our kids and we were so grateful to have but it's now been tainted with this nightmare because we have lost a kind soul to a senseless act of violence and my neighbors and I we've had enough we have had enough and we have to ask ourselves now do we feel safer now than we did

four years ago eight years ago and speaking for myself the answer is a resounding no just don't know how I mean I could put people away all day long 24 7 365 and I did for over 10 years plus three years as a Fed but that said if the government and politicians aren't going to help and you have have DAs and mayors in position where they are carrying out their social activist platform where they don't want people to go to jail. Innocent people like Mr. Tawaldi are paying the price. You know, Nancy, you're absolutely right.

We have a local supervisor in our neighborhood who campaigned on actually dismantling the police. We need to let the mayor do the job she was elected to do. And instead, we have an activist and ideologically driven board of supervisors locally in our neighborhood that's been pushing an anti-law enforcement agenda. So we're short hundreds of cops, and residents are trying to organize themselves so we can look out for each other. You know what hurts me the most, Ms. Philhauer? I would say 90% of the people that I represented did not have a voice.

They were all minorities, typically black, but other minorities. Many of them, many, many women and children, but others. And nobody was speaking for them. And I am not a politician. I hate politics. They actually disgust me. I'd rather try a serial killer than get alone in the room with a politician. You're not alone. You're not alone. But this has gone haywire. And at some point, Jarrett Farentino, Jarrett is a veteran homicide prosecutor. And just before he's joining us right now, he was set to try a case where a store employee was killed and the other side got a continuance, a further notice, a delay

and that's how we happen to have him with us today. Jared, I want you to listen to our cut three. Who is the victim? Our victim, Mr. Tawaldi. Take a listen, our friends at KTVU. The family tells me Tawaldi became a U.S. citizen eight months ago and underwent heart surgery in March. Right after his heart surgery, he didn't even wait to go back to work because he wanted to be there. There's something about that community he loves. And the community loves him. A neighbor contacted me about what happened to Tawaldi, affectionately known as John.

Others have started a GoFundMe to help him and his family. Relatives tell me doctors plan to run tests on him tomorrow to see if there is any brain activity. And more from PIX. Miron says her dad loves the neighborhood. So much. Who works seven days when you don't need to work? Like he just got out of heart surgery. I told him not to work. I have a job. I can support them. Literally, he put me to college so I can help them out. I do that. He still works. Then it just happened. This makes no sense. Miron and her family are trying to understand how this could have happened.

They want justice. But most of all, they want him to get better. They want people to pray for him. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace You know, to you, Jarrett Fiorentino, veteran prosecutor, the social activist with an agenda.

You know what? God bless them. But let them go and hold this family's hand. Let them see what is happening to regular people like us that are out there trying to make a living. And then people like this predator kills them it's it's so sad nancy when you look at john's photograph you see an honorable man doing honest work you you get to know him just by looking at it this is what happens when you cut police funding and the activists are anti-law enforcement. The reality is this thief entered that store

and stole water. John didn't approach him. Here's the point. He didn't even have any police to call. If he wanted to report that crime, that's largely been decriminalized. He probably would not have had a police officer respond. If there was proper funding, maybe this entire situation could have resolved then. I hear you would have, could have, should have, but what do we do now? Who's looking for this guy? Who's helping the family? And as much as the daughter wanted her dad to wake up, he didn't. Listen to our Cut 12 KTVU. A San Francisco man who was attacked trying to stop a thief died from his injuries this afternoon. A family of six-year-old Johannes Tuelde, known as John, says he suffered a brain injury when the suspect attacked him at the Richmond Market Thursday night. The store owner says the suspect knocked Tuelde to the ground, causing him to hit his head.

Friends have started a GoFundMe to help support his family. Police are still searching for the man responsible for the attack. If you do recognize the individual, you're asked to contact San Francisco Police. Guys, as you heard earlier, there is a GoFundMe. I'm looking at it right now, and it's called Violent Crime in Richmond District. And that was set up, in part, by our guest, Marjan Philhauer, who is the community advocate and co-founder of Balboa Village Merchants Association. That's Violent Crime in Richmond District is going to his family.

I'm just, you know, Jason Jensen and Jarrett Farentine, I want you to jump in, Jarrett, about what we can do since, obviously, law enforcement has their hands tied and is not being supported in this area. But Jason Jensen, owner of Jensen Private Investigations, co-founder of Cold Case Coalition. And you can find him at JensenPrivateInvestigations.com. Jensen, it's my understanding, and Alexis, jump in if you know something in addition. But I understand that the suspect left in a sedan. What do we know about what kind of vehicle he was driving if anything and what do we do jason jensen i want this guy behind bars life behind bars at the least really what we've

seen is an uptick in calls as a private investigator because you're not getting that kind of response for petty crimes and stuff by law enforcement. So security details, private investigations are really on the uprise. And so what we would see, what we would do in a case like this with Mr. Schwalde is we have an image of the perpetrator, of his killer. And we know a partial description of the vehicle. What we want to do is canvas the neighborhood where we're going to identify where this individual is hanging out. Obviously, he was there long enough to come to Mr. Tualdi's Richmond store twice. So he was there visiting somebody living there nearby. You want to find out from

neighborhood surveillance footage or something where that vehicle was. Try and get a plate of the vehicle so you can identify the individual and help law enforcement out. That's a really good idea. Jarrett Fiorentino, certainly with with all of the businesses along that street, and Marjan, jump in if you know, there has to be, Jarrett Fiorentino, enough video surveillance. I mean, I think there were 16 cameras in the grocery store, but those cameras outside the grocery store may have gotten a tag number. The businesses and residents have come to learn that having cameras in front of their homes and businesses. Undoubtedly, they would canvas those neighborhood businesses and secure those cameras. And I'm thinking they're working at identifying this individual. I cannot imagine it's going to be terribly difficult to do that in a neighborhood such as this where people talk, people know each other.

You know, John is known in the neighborhood. You know, the good guys are known, but the bad guys are known too. And hopefully someone comes forward and sheds some light on who this punk is. Andy Kahn joining us out of Houston. Andy, what are we going to do? I can tell you there should be some sort of crime stoppers reward. We would have one up immediately right now and we would offer right now anywhere from up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest. And like your other guests had said, somebody knows who this guy is. There's no if, ands or buts about it. So the public has to step up to the

plate and do the right thing and contact San Francisco Crime Stoppers. And you can do it anonymously. You're eligible for a reward if you want one, but quite frankly, just do the right thing and get this thug off the street right now. This sadly has become the new norm in America. And we sit back and we condone this type of behavior because we don't have real leadership because real leadership means admitting you have a problem. There is a problem, not just in San Francisco, but all over the country. And if we keep electing people that don't care about victims, there's going to be more of this. And good people like Mr. Tawaldi are paying the price. Dr. Mena, I don't quite understand why did Mr. Tawaldi have to die?

He had two surgeries after the beating. Why did he succumb? What may have happened is that he already has severe enough injury from the direct impact of the fall and or the beating with the bat. But learning also that he had recent heart surgery, it's also possible that just from the stress or the injuries alone, he could have had a cardiac event and then that can cause a stroke that may be, by that point, irreversible. He may have something called a very severe concussion, sometimes called traumatic brain injury or diffuse axonal injury. So I'm thinking that the surgeries performed were either done to relieve bleeding or remove some of the bleeding and stop it, or just to relieve the swelling of the brain so that

it can expand and not be constrained by the skull around it. Alexis, any news on catching this guy? The police have not caught him yet. They have said that he fled in a sedan, but they have not identified the sedan. They have not released a name. They haven't said anything, but they have put out the picture. In fact, two pictures because there's video. They haven't put out the video because they don't want people to see the violent assault, but they have shown this man's face repeatedly. They have two different

pictures, but they have not said his name or anything. Guys, if you know information or think you do, 415-575-4444. Goodbye Goodbye friend.