A store clerk was seriously injured in what is being called an unprovoked stabbing incident that occurred behind the front counter of the Smoke Shop/Market located at 14111 Belcher Rd in Largo. The incident happened at approximately 11:50 a.m. on Monday, April 14, 2025.
According to the arrest document, the attack was captured on store surveillance footage and occurred shortly after the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Yesenia Sofia Gonzalez Aleaga of Pinellas Park, had previously made a routine purchase at the same location.
According to investigators, the victim, Dafir Mohamed Mohamed Dalek, was working as a cashier and was assisting Gonzalez Aleaga, who requested a product stored behind the counter. As the victim moved to retrieve the item, video footage shows Gonzalez Aleaga removing a kitchen knife with an approximate 6-inch blade from her purse and concealing it along her forearm.
When the victim crouched behind the counter to locate the merchandise, Gonzalez Aleaga approached, transferred the knife to her right hand, and began stabbing the victim using an overhand motion. The victim attempted to stand and defend himself but sustained multiple stab wounds to the back of his head, neck below the left ear, both sides of the upper chest, and the center of the chest.
The two individuals were not known to each other, and no provocation was identified. Approximately 35 minutes before the assault, Gonzalez Aleaga had entered the store and completed a purchase without incident.
After the attack, the victim was able to detain Gonzalez Aleaga until law enforcement arrived. The entire incident was recorded on the store’s audio and video surveillance system. After her arrest and being read her Miranda rights, Gonzalez Aleaga did not provide a statement.
The victim was transported to the trauma center at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. On Tuesday morning, the Largo Police Department reported that the victim is in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.
Gonzalez Aleaga was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on charges of First Degree Attempted Murder.
The investigation is ongoing.