Man stabbed inside NE Philly Pathmark

A dispute between two men inside a grocery store turned violent tonight, police said.

Just before 6 p.m., police were called to the Pathmark on Cottman Avenue near Oakley Street in Burholme, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Inside the store's blood-stained dairy section, they found a 50-year-old man stabbed twice in his face and neck.

Officers initially took him to nearby Jeanes Hospital, but the victim was later transferred to Temple University Hospital because of his worsening condition, Small said.

He remains there tonight in critical but stable condition and is expected to survive.

In the wake of the stabbing, witnesses told police that the suspect, a heavyset white male in his 40s, fled the scene, heading north on nearby train tracks, Small said.

About a mile from the Pathmark, officers caught up with the man and took him into custody. Near where they grabbed him was a bloody kitchen knife, which police believe was used in the attack.

The victim later positively identified the man as his assailant, Small said. He was transported to Northeast Detective Division and is awaiting his formal arraignment.

Small said the victims know each other and that they began to argue after running into each other inside the store. It's not clear what the dispute was about, but it quickly turned physical.

Several witnesses were also taken to Northeast Detectives, and investigators are currently reviewing surveillance footage from the store.