A beloved 64-year-old Manhattan supermarket worker died in the aftermath of a scuffle with a shoplifter who tried to flee with a six-pack of Heineken last week, authorities and sources said Monday.

The employee – identified by his family as dad of four, Leobardo Hernandez – spotted a thief trying to steal the beer around 9:15 p.m. Friday inside the Morton Williams on Ninth Avenue near West 58th Street, steps from Columbus Circle, cops and sources said.

When Hernandez confronted the suspect, a “physical altercation” ensued, police said. 4

Hernandez was punched in the chest during the fracas and was discovered lying on a milk crate inside the store, his sons told WABC.

He was rushed to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries, cops said.

The cause of his de

See Full Page