October 2nd 2023.
Suraj, a cashier at a convenience store, was recently hospitalized with severe burns after a man he was trying to stop from shoplifting set him on fire. On September 22nd, Suraj found himself in a terrifying situation that left him with second and third-degree burns on his face, neck, chest, and shoulder. He recounted the event to CBS, saying, “He just splashed lighter fluid on my face, and I was so scared that moment. I tried to cover his hand, but I don’t know. I don’t remember. He just lit the fire on me you know. I just rushed to the restroom, and I just splashed water on my face.”
Suraj called for more security measures at small stores, saying, “Nobody has to go through this kind of situation, and the small stores should have more security or something like that. The workplace should be safer.” Following the event, 38-year-old Kendall Burton, a homeless man, was arrested in El Sobrante and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, battery, arson, and robbery. He is currently being held without bail and has an upcoming court date on October 9th.
Suraj’s wife, Sabeena Parajuli, started a fundraiser to help the family pay for his medical bills. She has raised more than $30,000, all of which will go towards Suraj’s treatment at Saint Fransis Memorial Hospital. Some commenters, who know Suraj from the trips they made to the store, said he is a kind man, and lamented that such an act was committed against him.
According to KVTU, the sheriff’s office was dispatched to the convenience store following a call regarding a shoplifter coming in around 9:00. Burton had also been a repeat shoplifter at the store, usually taking lighter fluid. On the day Suraj was attacked, his co-worker had made him aware that Burton was stealing again.
Suraj remains in agonizing pain, and his wife’s fundraiser has been a great help in assisting him with his medical bills. He said, “It’s terrible. You know, I’m still in a trauma right now, me, my family. And when we clean the wound, [the pain is] like over 10.” This story has caught the attention of many, some of whom are calling for justice and for workplace safety to be improved.
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