Man stole from liquor store clerk having heart attack
Left: Jason Hay (GoFundMe). Right: Three people try to help Hay after he had a heart attack at the liquor store where he worked. The man with the red hood allegedly stole $800 from the store (KPTV).
Police in Portland, Oregon, are searching for a man who stole money from a liquor store while the clerk on duty was suffering a heart attack, then fled without offering help.
The Portland Police Bureau says the medical emergency occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Bins & Barrels. While the employee was incapacitated, the suspect stepped behind the counter and took cash from both the clerk and the store’s office before running off.
“This appears to be a crime of opportunity, not part of a larger pattern,” public information officer Mike Benner told Law&Crime.
Co-workers identified the clerk as 53-year-old Jason Hay. He was rushed to a hospital but passed away about a week later. Hay had been with the store for roughly a year and was known for greeting every customer by name, colleagues said during a Monday night vigil covered by local Fox affiliate KPTV.
Store manager Michelle Maurer told NBC affiliate KGW that the suspect made off with roughly $800 while pretending to be a bystander trying to help. “Several real good Samaritans stopped to assist,” Maurer said. “But one man acted like he was checking Jason’s pulse, when it was clear he was actually searching for his wallet.”
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the man slipping into the back office as others were trying to save Hay’s life. “He noticed our change safe was open, grabbed the bank bags, and stuffed them down his pants,” Maurer said.
Hay, a lifelong Portland resident, leaves behind a wife and a 15-year-old son. A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family, as he was their primary provider. “He was a light in this community, and I hope people continue the kindness he showed every day,” his sister Jessica Jones told KPTV at the vigil.
Jones said she believes Hay likely knew the man who robbed him. “That’s the heartbreaking part—it was someone he knew. Someone he trusted,” she said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 25-259043.
About Post Author
