A convenience store employee is expected to recover after a man stabbed him outside his store early Thursday morning.

Police officers were dispatched to the store at about 2:30 a.m. on the 3400 block of Long Beach Boulevard near East Wardlow Road, police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said.

The employee was standing outside the store after catching a would-be shoplifter and telling him to leave the store. The employee was then approached by a separate man.

“Words were exchanged and the subject slashed at the victim with a sharp instrument,” Pratt said.

The victim was transported to a local hospital with a non-life threatening injury. The suspect is described as male, black and in his late teens or early 20’s, Pratt said. He fled the scene in a car.

“It is unknown if the assault was related to the initial shoplifting incident, but the investigation remains ongoing,” Pratt said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Violent Crimes Detail at 562-570-7250. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smart phone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.