A man in his 70s was punched by a person who asked him for money moments after he pulled up to a South Jersey Wawa last week and now police are taking action.
The incident played out on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2023, outside the convenience store at Cinnaminson Avenue and East Broad Street in Palmyra, New Jersey.
"I just was stunned more than anything," Bill Lorenz of Palmyra told NBC10. "The guy came over, walked up to my door and asked for money and I was taking off my seatbelt. I didn't even look at him after I saw him coming over and said 'no.' Next thing he just sucker punched me."
The man was begging customers outside of the Wawa, Lorenz said. He was carrying a bag of clothes that had two small rocks at the bottom.
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"Another gentleman about 30 or so came out, and he was a pretty big guy, tried to knee cap him with the bag that he had," Lorenz explained.
Palmyra police said officers arrived at the Wawa shortly after Lorenz called and arrested the suspect who had also flipped over a cart of food inside the store before the assault.
"It actually started with the suspect going into the Wawa throwing a rack of food on the ground, being confronted by the manager, exiting the store and that’s when the incident took place outside," Palmyra Police Lt. Josiah Murphy told NBC10.
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Police said they believe this show of violence was an isolated incident.
The suspect -- who police didn't name -- was charged with two counts of simple assault, lewdness, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and trespassing according to police. He also had three outstanding warrants for his arrest, investigators said.
The community of Palmyra joined together for a town council meeting Monday night where the issue of loitering and panhandling at this Wawa was a hot topic.
Police said that there are issues with people passing through the neighborhood, and this Wawa store location is just a few steps away from NJ Transit's River Line platform.
Police said they have been working with NJ Transit to step up patrol around the train tracks and are urging everyone to speak up rather than wait if they feel uncomfortable.
"My fear is that somebody could actually become a lot more violent and take someone’s life," Lorenz said.
Wawa told NBC10 that it takes customer and associate safety very seriously and that it's company policy to report any issues to police.
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