PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 23-year-old man is facing felony charges for allegedly stabbing the owner of a downtown Portland restaurant after receiving his bill.
The attack happened Tuesday night at Habibi Restaurant — a Mediterranean eatery at SW 10th and Morrison Street.
Saba Saada, an employee at the restaurant, told KOIN 6 News the suspect was an angry customer who became extremely angry when he was handed his bill. The restaurant’s owner, Leo Khoury, called the police when the customer started screaming and shouting.
Saada said that when his boss turned away, the customer stabbed him in the back and shoulder and then ran away.
“Our employees started chasing him down and the cops arrested him over there, two blocks down this way,” Saada said.
Portland police identified the suspect as Moses Trullio. He was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.
Saada said Khoury emigrated from the Middle East to the United States decades ago and eventually opened Habibi Restaurant.
“Since he was young, he wanted to open up a restaurant called Habibi,” said Saada. “He worked really hard as a server in the beginning, started saving up his money and opened up this little place.”
Khoury was rushed to a hospital after being stabbed. A neighbor created a GoFundMe page to help with his medical costs and to support the restaurant.