Joel Cauchi’s final meal before stabbing spree in Bondi Junction: Waitress speaks out about chilling encounter
The knifeman behind a shopping center stabbing that left six people dead was captured on CCTV ordering a red chicken curry just hours before the attack.
Joel Cauchi, a Queensland man, was shot dead by police at about 3.20pm on Saturday after stabbing six people to death and wounding several others, including a nine-month-old girl.
Just three hours before the tragedy, Cauchi was captured on CCTV ordering two meals.
The killer ordered a red chicken curry from Bondi Junction’s Saigon Noodle – just a stone’s throw from the shopping center – at 10.01am on Saturday.
He opened his wallet but did not pay and told the employee serving him that he would come back before leaving the restaurant.
He came back to the restaurant at 12.21pm, ordered the same chicken curry and then paid for it.
He sat down and spent 15 minutes eating his last meal.
Rogate Sianipar served Cauchi and told the Daily Telegraph he appeared confused.
‘He came twice. The first time he didn’t take the money with him. I took the order. He said I would come back again,” the staff member said.
When she saw the news about Cauchi’s gruesome stabbing, she “couldn’t believe it.”
“This is the man I served. It was twice that he came. “I felt so happy,” she said.
Queensland man Joel Cauchi (pictured left, at the counter) was filmed ordering a curry just hours before the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing
The revelation comes amid speculation that Cauchi specifically targeted women during the attack. Six people, five women and one manwere killed.
a nine month old baby was one of the victims who were stabbed and underwent surgery on Saturday evening, N.S.W Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters on Saturday.
The child’s mother, Ash Good, was among those who died. She passed her baby to strangers and begged them to help before she lost consciousness.
The horrific attack only ended after Cauchi was shot by a lone female police officer.
New South Wales Police are working to map Cauchi’s movements before the attack, and said it was not motivated by terrorism.
He was schizophrenic and police are treating the horrific attack as mental health related.
His distraught family are said to have frantically contacted police amid concerns their son was involved in yesterday’s Bondi attack, News Corp Australia reports.
Cauchi (pictured during the attack) killed six customers and injured several more, including a nine-month-old girl
“I can assure you that we are confident there is no ongoing risk and we are dealing with one person who has now passed away,” NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.
“The investigation will be ongoing for many, many days, but there are elements that we understand at this time that do not point to (a terrorist attack), but as we continue with the investigation and the background of this individual, his home , vehicle, employees, we will only know then.’
Anyone with information about Cauchi or Saturday’s attack is urged to contact police.