Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, a native Jordanian who became a U.S. citizen, was living the American dream, providing for his family as a partner in a convenience store, treating homeless customers with grace and dignity, and trusting in a just society.

On May 30, 2024, while talking to his wife in a Facetime phone conversation, that dream was shattered by a merciless killer who burst into the M&M Market store in Leesburg and shot him before he had time to react.

His family wanted justice and they got it Wednesday when a judge sentenced 26-year-old Alex Lopez to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“I promise you, today’s verdict was not a miscarriage of justice,” his widow, Monique Shihadeh told Circuit Judge Brian Welke before he imposed the sentence. “It was the perfect carriage of justice.’’

She told the Daily Commercial in July of 2024 that she did not want the state to impose the death penalty, that it would be “too easy” for Alex. “He should be put into solitary confinement and not be allowed to have any contact with his family. We can’t talk to him [Raied], so it’s only fair that he can’t talk to his.”

Alex will not be confined to solitary confinement.

There is still justice, of sorts, though nothing can bring Raied back to his family.

Monique broke down in tears on Tuesday when she testified about the last time she talked to her husband.

“We were on a call and all of a sudden, he drops the phone and I hear him scream, ‘No, no, no!’

“I kept calling for him. I kept asking him, ‘What is happening? What is going on?’

“I said, ‘Please, pick up the phone,’ and there was nothing. He never responded. He never said anything, and all of a sudden I see a blur pass across the screen.

“And I screamed, ‘I hate you. I hate you.’ And there was nothing after that so I called 911, ’cause he never came back on the phone.”

The couple was married 23 years and had five children. Two were in college, one studying in Italy on a full scholarship. “My 16-year-old got to tell him, ‘I love you, on her 16^th birthday,” she told the Daily Commercial in 2024.

On Wednesday, she referred to her children before the judge sentenced Alex to life in prison without parole. “… I promise you that while this doesn’t take away their pain, it will alleviate some of it.”

Family and friends described Raied as a man who was “always smiling,” and easy-going with the homeless people who camped near the store on Picciola Road.

DANGEROUS WORK

People who work in convenience stores suffer high rates of workplace homicides, right behind taxicab drivers, according to a 2022 article in Discover magazine.

U.S. Department of Justice statistics around the time M&M Market was robbed showed that 6 percent of the holdups took place in similar mom and pop stores. The real shocker is that 70 percent are unsolved, according to security company Integrated Cash Logistics.

That includes the slaying of Vietnamese immigrants Khiem “Ken” Ba Trinh and his wife, Mihn “Tina” Nguyen, who were shot to death at their store in Mount Dora in 2020.

Experts say there is a mistaken belief among people that convenience stores take in a lot of cash. People today frequently use cards, however. Alex ended up stealing less than $100, according to investigators.

TECHNOLOGY, COMPASSION

Merchant associations provide safety tips, which include the use of security cameras. It was a camera that put the spotlight squarely on Alex.

The camera showed the gunman wearing an orange, long-sleeved shirt, ripped jeans with a dark belt, black sneakers, black gloves, and a pink head covering, which slipped, revealing his facial features.

A police officer in Wildwood familiar with Alex identified him from photos and alerted Leesburg investigators.

A cousin of Alex came forward and identified the vehicle he was driving, according to Assistant State Attorney Ken Nunnelly who prosecuted Alex. The cousin testified this week at the trial. Mona Rosey Payne from the Public Defender’s Office represented Alex.

Investigators also received a tip from a woman who recognized Alex from published surveillance video images, according to court records. “She further claimed that she has knowledge Alex has ties to MS-13 and due to this she was in fear, so she called Wildwood police….”

MS-13 is a notoriously violent South American gang.

A check of Alex on Facebook turned up images of him wearing distinctive clothing, including a pair of jeans that appeared to be similar to the ones shown in the video.

Other tips poured in that led investigators to believe that Alex’s mother and sister were helping him hide. They were eventually arrested when the trail led to a motel in Kissimmee on June 28, 2024. Detectives received one tip from a person who believed another family member was trying to help him escape to Mexico. Alex is a U.S. citizen.

Police never found the gun but they collected the suspect’s bloodstained jeans, which contained all-important DNA evidence that helped sway jurors to convict him in less than three hours.

It was also technology that led to the discovery of the vehicle in Valdosta, Ga. The car was not yet paid for. The dealer had installed a GPS tracking device. The car was being sold to his mother, according to court records.

GRATEFUL

Raied’s former business partner, Adel Abbullah, was overwhelmed with emotion Wednesday when he found out Alex had been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for murder and 15 years for armed robbery.

“He was more than a partner. He was my friend, like a brother. We were friends for more than 20 years,” he said.

“I’m so thankful for the police, the lawyers, the media,” he said.

“I’m very satisfied. I hope he gets what he deserves. I really do. “He lived like a piece of garbage and he’ll die like one.”