Grandmother fatally stabbed while working at Honolulu mini-mart, Filipino man charged with murder

A 66-year-old convenience store clerk asked a customer to pay for an alcoholic drink he had opened. He allegedly swore at her and stabbed her in the neck, according to court documents.

Celeste Gusman, a longtime clerk and grandmother, was working at Aloha Island Mart in Honolulu’s Kalihi neighborhood when the attack happened on November 4. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

A coworker told police she called 911. When the suspect allegedly approached her and asked for a vape, she jumped over the counter and fled to a stockroom.

Police said they found Alexis Aquino, 23, inside the store holding a kitchen knife and a canned drink. Officers used a stun device to detain him after he allegedly ignored orders to drop the knife.

Aquino faces second-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges. His bail was set at $1 million. He appeared in court on November 6 and is scheduled to return on November 10.