72-Year-Old San Francisco Store Owner Loses An Eye In Vicious Attack; Suspect Arrested

A 72-year-old shop owner in San Francisco has lost his left eye after a man brutally stabbed him inside his store.

Petros Yohannes, known to his customers as Peter, was attacked on June 2 by a man who rushed into his store. Yohannes tried to push him out but was viciously stabbed with a sharp object multiple times, including once in his left eye, reported ABC 7.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Donovan Cole Catron, was arrested Monday. Catron was initially detained by police after attempting to rob a 56-year-old man on the 3rd and Stevenson streets. However, one of the officers saw the crime alert from the June 2 stabbing and recognized Catron from photos, police announced Wednesday.

According to a report, hours before the stabbing, there was a burglary attempt in the store, during which an SUV tried to smash through the front door. Yohannes was assessing the damages when the assailant came running in, wanting to use the bathroom. A scuffle ensued, which resulted in Yohannes being attacked.

The assailant was caught on a surveillance camera fleeing the store.

Luckily for Yohannes, a long-time customer, who is a doctor, came in shortly to make a purchase. Upon seeing Yohannes injured and bleeding heavily, he called 911. The customer also applied pressure to the store owner's wounds and helped him maintain consciousness.

Yohannes, who also sustained multiple wounds to his chest and arms, is now recovering in a hospital.

"My dad isn't exactly sure when the weapon was pulled but the only thing he remembers is feeling a sharp pain in his left eye," Yohannes' daughter Katerina told ABC7. "There were a lot of blows to his head, he's constantly complaining of these headaches and sharp pains in the front of his head."

Yohannes is also reportedly having a hard time trying to regain sight in his right eye.

His family is now struggling to pay off the mounting hospital bills. Yohannes doesn't have health insurance and his wife has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The family has set up a GoFundMe page for those interested in helping him.

An emigrant from Eritrea, Yohannes came to the U.S. 25 years ago.

"My parents have been proud small business owners in San Francisco for 25 years," Katerina wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Unfortunately, due to the recent spike of violence and burglaries, they felt defeated and had essentially been living/working in fear. Heartbroken, they agreed to retire in the coming months and begin a new chapter of their lives."