What we know about the stabbing at a downtown Raleigh store that turned fatal

No arrests have been made after a 27-year-old man was fatally stabbed at a downtown Raleigh convenience store last Thursday afternoon, Raleigh police said.

Mark Garrity Jr. of Cary was hospitalized and died two days later from injuries he suffered at Taz’s Supermarket One on South Wilmington Street.

Police are questioning Taiseer “Taz” Zarka, the store’s owner after witnesses alleged that he injured Garrity, WRAL and CBS 17 reported.

Store employees said an argument broke out after Zarka accused Garrity of stealing from his store, media outlets reported.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told The News & Observer that no charges had been filed by her office as of Tuesday.

Police responded to the store at 3:41 p.m Thursday but have not released details about the weapon used, who it belonged to or what the two men may have been arguing about.

Police spokesman Lt. Jason Borneo cited the ongoing investigation and did not answer questions from The N&O about the knife and how many times Garrity was stabbed.

What’s known about man stabbed

Garrity was placed on probation the week before the stabbing, after being convicted March 30 on a charge of felony breaking and entering, according to the N.C. Department of Correction.

He broke into Istanbul Restaurant in Cary in early March on Kildaire Farm Road and was arrested March 5, his arrest warrant stated. He was charged with felony breaking and entering and felony larceny after breaking and entering.

Restaurant owner Deniz Bozal told The N&O by phone that Garrity had stolen power tools worth a few hundred dollars

Bozal saw Garrity, whom he did not know, on security camera footage and reported it to police., he said.

“I was not worried about the tools, I was worried he would come back again,” Bozal said.

Bozal said he was sorry to hear about his death.

Before his March arrest, Garrity was last arrested in 2020 on a heroin possession charge, according to a warrant.

Zarka was previously interviewed in 2020 as part of The N&O’s coverage of downtown business owners facing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and damage from protests.

Zarka stated his opposition to businesses being harmed during protests.

“Carry it peacefully, and there is measures for everything,” Zarka said. “There is no need for violence.”