A New York City deli worker was fatally stabbed during an argument with a customer who wanted store credit, according to the victim’s family.

Police responded to a 911 call of a robbery in progress shortly after 11:30 p.m. at a deli in the East Harlem neighborhood, police said. Officers arrived and found a 34-year-old man with a stab wound to his torso outside the store.

NEW YORKERS SOUND THE ALARM ON CRIME RATES: ‘THE WILD, WILD WEST’

The victim was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His identity was not immediately released, pending family notification.

The victim’s family told WABC-TV that the dispute began after the worker refused the customer’s request for store credit.

"He got into an argument with this customer," the victim's cousin, Mohamed Zokari, told the station. "Then the fight ends, and the customer had a knife on him. He got stabbed in the side."

Police said that a preliminary investigation determined that the employee got into a dispute with a male customer inside the store before the altercation spilled out onto the sidewalk. The dispute escalated and the victim was stabbed with an unknown object.

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The suspect fled the scene heading eastbound on East 102 Street, police said. It was not immediately clear whether any property was stolen as police are continuing to investigate the incident.

Overall crime rose by almost 3% in September 2021 compared to September 2020, and robberies increased by 6%, according to New York City Police Department data

The largest increase in New York was for felonious assault – or assault with a dangerous weapon – which surged by nearly 19% from 1,802 in September 2020 to 2,135 in September 2021.