Six Australian teens have been arrested after a pizza shop owner was allegedly stabbed to death outside the western Sydney establishment. According to 9News, the incident happened on Tuesday. The owner of The Pizza Stop, identified as 58-year-old Sonmez Alagoz, was discovered near the restaurant on Great Western Highway, near Kingswood, with a single stab wound to his chest.
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Approximately 40 minutes before the pizza shop was set to close for the day, the owner encountered seven teenagers as young as 13 years old. First responders treated Alagoz at the scene before he was rushed to nearby Westmead Hospital. Unfortunately, the pizza shop owner died not long after his arrival.
The Daily Mail reported that Superintendent Trent King, Commander of the Nepean Police Area, stated four males and two females, aged between 14 and 19, were arrested. They assisted local law enforcement in their investigation, and no charges have been made.
Superintendent King further stated that the pizza shop owner had sustained a “gruesome” injury amid the attack.
“This was a gentleman that was going about his business, running his business, within the local area and certainly didn’t deserve what occurred,” Superintendent King said. “My understanding is that this gentleman was very closely connected to this community for a very long time. I certainly empathize with every person that knows him and his family. Everything was done that could possibly be done.”
Superintendent King also said law enforcement was “leaving no stone unturned” and was speaking to multiple witnesses. He then discussed what the police have learned about the situation so far.
“Initial investigations indicated those teenagers were in and around the vicinity at the time,” he explained. “They are known to police [but] weren’t dining in the restaurant.”
Locals Mourn the Loss of the Pizza Shop Owner
A nearby business owner told Daily Mail Australia the pizza shop owner’s death was a “great shame.”
“I don’t know why it could happen to him,” said a fellow business owner. Another local said Alagoz was a good man who was taken too soon.
“On many occasions when I was broke and barely surviving, he’d let me have food from his pizza shop for free at the end of the night,” the local said. “Spent many evenings sitting at the front of his shop talking about life. He gave me a lot of great advice. Never judged anyone for what they were going through. Breaks my heart to see this happen to a loving family.”
Authorities extended the crime scene from the row of stores beside The Pizza Stop to more than 300 feet down the street.