Englewood gas station worker beaten with ice scraper in robbery

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (WABC) -- There's video of a frightening robbery at a gas station in New Jersey where one of the employees was beaten up by a group of young men.

Police are now trying to hunt down the four suspects.

The man being beaten in the video is an employee of the Mobil Station on Route 4 East in Englewood.

He is the father of three who was beaten up, and moments later struck with an ice scraper, because he was doing his job.

"It really scares me for these guys that work, especially for the guys who work at night, they work hard all night long, they work hard to make a living, feed and support their families," said Danny Jaloudi, the owner.

This aggravated assault started as simple shoplifting. A woman who was with the men was paying for some items at the counter. But behind her and to the left side of the screen, young men she was apparently with were putting store merchandise into their pockets. The employee followed the group out of the store.

"He went outside to get the plate numbers of the vehicles that they were in and that's when the trouble started for him," said Det. Capt. Timothy Torell, of the Englewood Police Department.

The men set upon him, beating him in the parking lot, and then more men from the cars joined in.

Another employee was trying to stop them, but he didn't have much success.

When the group cleared, you could see the worker run back into the store, bloodied, and still pursued by one of the men from outside.

That man, wearing a Bulldogs jacket, appears to swing at the worker with an ice scraper.

"What started out as simple shoplifting has now evolved into a first degree robbery and aggravated assault," Torell said.

"For some thugs just to come in and beat this poor guy up, he's a father of three children, a hardworking man, tries to do the right thing and these guys, seven or eight of them, come in and rob and jump him,"Jaloudi said.

The victim suffered several broken bones and a broken nose, police are hoping someone will recognize the men in the video and give them a call.