# Pavilions Worker Stabbed in Back While Taking Out Trash in Sherman Oaks; Suspect Still at Large
A Pavilions grocery store employee was stabbed in the lower back late Tuesday night in the rear parking lot on Ventura Boulevard. The attacker, a male wearing glasses, fled in an unknown car. The victim was hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover. The LAPD is asking for public assistance.
# Pavilions Worker Stabbed in Back While Taking Out Trash in Sherman Oaks; Suspect Still at Large
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. (The San Fernando Valley Post) -- A grocery store employee was stabbed in the back while performing a routine overnight trash run at a Pavilions in Sherman Oaks, and the attacker fled the scene before police could make an arrest, the Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday.
The attack took place around 10:55 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday in the rear parking lot of the Pavilions store at 14845 Ventura Boulevard, roughly five blocks west of Van Nuys Boulevard, according to an LAPD spokesperson. The store sits near Willis Avenue and falls under the jurisdiction of the Van Nuys Community Police Station.
Police say the worker was hauling garbage out to the back of the store when a man who had been loitering in the area approached him. The suspect pulled out a knife, stabbed the employee in the lower back, and then fled in an unidentified vehicle.
A male suspect wearing glasses was described by police, but no further physical description has been released. No arrests have been announced, and investigators have not identified a motive. It is not yet clear whether the incident was a random act of violence or connected to a robbery or theft attempt.
The worker was loaded into an ambulance and transported to a hospital in stable condition, police said. His condition was described as stable with vital signs intact, and he is expected to recover.
Video from the scene captured the employee, still in his grocery store uniform, being loaded into the ambulance. At least a dozen LAPD officers and five Los Angeles Fire Department personnel converged on the lot to treat the victim and secure the scene for the investigation.
A representative for Albertsons, the parent company of the Pavilions supermarket chain, released a statement following the attack.
"The safety of our associates and customers is our top priority. We are aware of the incident that occurred outside our store and are focused on supporting our associate. Because this is an active investigation, we cannot provide additional details at this time," the statement read.
The stabbing lands on a stretch of Ventura Boulevard that has seen a string of unsettling incidents in recent weeks, including a robbery reported by a resident just days earlier. The attacks have fueled renewed calls for expanded police presence on the corridor, which Mayor Karen Bass ordered a high-visibility LAPD patrol surge on back in April.
Workplace violence has also become a growing concern for grocery workers across Southern California. The UFCW Local 770, the union that represents Southern California grocery workers at Pavilions and Vons stores, has pushed the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board for mandatory safety standards and employer-funded security guards to counter rising assaults on retail employees. California Senate Bill 553, which took effect in July 2024, requires retail employers to maintain a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, log violent incidents, and train staff annually on safety hazards.
The LAPD has not yet released a full description of the suspect or details about the getaway vehicle. Residents who were in the area Tuesday night or who have dashcam or doorbell footage of the rear parking lot of the Pavilions are urged to contact the Van Nuys Division or call 311 to tip off detectives.
Anyone with information is asked to come forward, as the investigation remains open.
This article was generated with AI assistance.