A police officer from a Washington state store died by teenagers after suffering a heart attack, say the cops

Zarif Kelada, in the center, works as a clerk in a convenience store in Washington State and was left for dead after having a heart attack during a robbery, police said.

(GoFundMe)

An employee of a Washington convenience store was revived Tuesday after suffering a heart attack on Saturday when he was confronted with two teenagers who let him die in the store, authorities said. .

The teens – instead of calling 911 or bringing help – have come back several times to steal cigarettes and empty the cash register of $ 178, said Angela Sharapova, store manager, in Seattle.

The policeman, identified as Zarif Kelada, collapsed during a confrontation with the two teenagers, Auburn police said, according to KOMO-TV.

"It's absolutely heartbreaking, and we're just dealing with it, hoping our guy will get there," Sharapova told the station.

The incident occurred in Auburn, about 27 miles south of Seattle.

The Saturday night incident began when an adult man came in with two teenagers, police said. One of the teens took a pepperoni stick from the counter and started to eat it, then gave a second to his friend, the police said. Police have identified the man and two teenagers, reported Tuesday the Seattle Q13Fox.

When the man tried to buy another item, the police said the employee had also tried to load him for the two sticks of pepperoni. A fight broke out before one of the teens offered the clerk a dollar bill, police said. Kelada, a father of three, went around the counter to confront teenagers.

Colleagues told the station that Kelada had collapsed moments later after suffering a heart attack. Police have described it as a medical problem.

"I could not watch it the first time," Sharapova told Q13Fox. "I had to stop and leave. It has completely broken my heart.

Investigators said the adult man was not involved in the incident, the station reported.

"This is not something you see very often," said Steve Stocker, Auburn Police Commander, at Q13Fox. "It really shocks people and makes people wonder when people can be so cold with others."

Another man working in a nearby food truck called 9-1-1, while several clients performed CPR, KOMO-TV reported.

"If you see someone like that, you know, you're trying to do as much help as you can," the man said.

Colleagues have created a GoFundMe page to help Kelada pay for medical bills.

The police have not yet released the name of the adult man. According to Q13Fox, the man and the two teenagers would not have been charged.