Homeless man attacked a store clerk, who provided him shelter during cold weather and gave him food and water, when he was told it was time to leave, hitting him 50 times in the face and head with a hammer; arrested

A 53-year-old homeless man, identified as Julian has been arrested and is now facing a murder charge following a shocking incident that left a store clerk dead. The store clerk, identified as 25-year-old Vivek, has been attacked at the gas station he worked at by the homeless man he had been helping during cold weather conditions

The incident unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday when officers from the police department responded to an assault call at approximately 12:20 a.m. Upon arrival, they found Julian holding a hammer and standing over Vivek’s body. Julian, who also had two knives and an additional hammer on him, complied with police orders to drop the hammer and was taken into custody.

Vivek suffered severe head trauma, and the scene described by the police incident report was gruesome, with substantial blood splatter and brain tissues scattered on the ground. Paramedics pronounced Vivek dead at the scene. A witness, another store clerk who was hiding in the back of the booth, was found visibly shaken and terrified. This clerk provided officers access to the store’s surveillance cameras, which captured the harrowing moments of the attack. The footage allegedly showed Julian striking Vivek’s skull with a hammer multiple times.

The attack took place after Julian’s extended stay at the store. Store clerks, including Vivek, had been allowing Julian, who is homeless, to stay inside the store due to the cold weather. They had been providing him with chips, soda, and water. However, when Vivek told Faulkner that it was time to leave, Julian attacked him with the hammer, striking him approximately 50 times on the face and head. Detectives attempted to interview Julian at the police station, but he declined to speak with them. He is currently being held at the DeKalb County Jail without bond, facing the grim reality of a murder charge.