A food delivery worker is back on his bike this week with a warning after a group of attackers cornered him in the lobby of a New York City apartment building for a pistol-whip robbery.
Omar Guerra doesn't work for the typical delivery apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats – he works for a Chinese restaurant that takes food orders the old school way: by phone.
That means he carries a lot of cash, making him the perfect target the kind of attack that police say happened last Thursday.
While dropping off a takeout order in Inwood, around 6:30 p.m., four unidentified suspects ambushed Guerrra. Police say they punched and kicked him, taking nearly $300 in cash and leaving him badly beaten.
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Guerra said one in the group, wearing a grey sweater and black mask, pistol-whipped him, while the others stole his cash. He also believes his attackers were the ones who put in the delivery order.
Guerra is one of more than 65,000 food delivery workers in the city. Starting Friday, new protections for New York City app delivery workers go into effect.
Workers will be able to set the distance they’re willing to travel for an order, and before a worker accepts a job, the apps must let them know the address, distance, pay and tip.
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"My workers see this all the time. And what they’re asking is like: NYPD has to do their part and take this very seriously>
The protections do not apply to Guerra, who says he has no choice but to keep making deliveries – while carrying the fear of another attack.
