‘Sauce-obsessed’ US man accused of killing Chinese food delivery worker over sweet-and-sour duck sauce
- New York City murder suspect who shot Chinese food delivery worker had feud with local restaurant over duck sauce portions
- Police searched suspect’s flat and found his ‘whole refrigerator was filled’ with duck sauce, soy sauce and ketchup
A condiment-obsessed New York City murder suspect hoarded sweet-and-sour duck sauce in his refrigerator – but not enough to stop him from killing a Chinese food delivery worker in a feud over his wish for more, a police source said on Tuesday.
When police opened accused killer Glenn Hirsch’s refrigerator, they found it full of items to flavour up his food – including lots of duck sauce of the kind given away by Chinese restaurants in little plastic packets.
“His whole refrigerator was filled with duck sauce,” the source said. “And other condiments.”
“He’s a hoarder. And when you open the refrigerator, it’s like, condiments – there’s duck sauce, soy sauce, ketchup.”
Hirsch, 51, was arrested last week on charges of shooting dead Zhiwen Yan, 45, on April 30 in Forest Hills, Queens, after stalking Yan’s restaurant for weeks over his demand for more duck sauce in what the Queens District Attorney called an “obsessive point of contention”.
Police said they had been building a case against Hirsch ever since learning he had been involved in ongoing tensions with the manager at the Great Wall restaurant, starting last November 30 when he was furious there wasn’t enough duck sauce for him to take home with his meal.
Indeed, after Hirsch was indicted and police searched his flat they found in his refrigerator evidence of just how obsessed he is with condiments.
“I guess in some pathology people like that take that stuff very seriously – you didn’t give him enough duck sauce,” said the police source.
Hirsch, who had 10 previous sealed arrests, has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.
Police said the night of the murder he circled the block of the restaurant a number of times, then followed Yan as he drove off on his scooter to make a delivery before shooting him on the street.
Hirsch has not been charged with a hate crime in the case.
