A Florida jury reached a verdict on Wednesday, finding a 26-year-old man guilty of the murder and robbery of a store clerk. This tragic incident unfolded while the victim was on a phone call with his wife, who witnessed the horrific event.

The convicted individual, Alex Lopez, faced charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and additional offenses related to the death of 51-year-old Raied “Ray” Shihadeh. The crime occurred in Leesburg, located approximately 40 miles northwest of Orlando. Following the verdict, Judge Brian Welke handed down a life sentence to Lopez, ensuring he will serve his term without the possibility of parole.

During the trial, the courtroom heard heart-wrenching testimony from Shihadeh’s wife, Monique, who was on a FaceTime call with her husband during the time of his murder on May 30, 2024, at the M & M Food Mart. As reported by local Fox affiliate WOFL, Monique recounted hearing her husband’s desperate pleas of “no, no” right before the sound of gunfire rang out.

Monique testified, sharing her disbelief and confusion during the call. “I kept asking him, ‘What is happening? What’s going on?’ He never responded. He never said anything,” she told the court. “Suddenly, I saw a blur pass across the screen and I screamed,” she added, describing the chaos of the moment.

The blur she referred to was later identified as Lopez, who stepped over Shihadeh to fire another shot as he lay on the ground. Following the shooting, Lopez made off with less than $100 from the cash register and a vape before fleeing the scene.

A customer came in later and heard Monique Shihadeh screaming on the phone and saw the victim on the ground. The customer called 911.

Cops rushed to the scene where they found Raied Shihadeh suffering from gunshot wounds to his abdomen and head. He was airlifted to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Detectives released photos to the media of the suspect and they received several tips, including from his cousin, that identified Lopez as the suspect. He spent several weeks on the run but was arrested at a hotel in Kissimmee.

Shihadeh was a father of five.

“Less than a hundred dollars is what this ruthless, wanna be thug valued over the victim’s life,” State Attorney Bill Gladson said in a statement. “While this verdict, nor any amount of money, can’t bring the victim back, we hope his family finds comfort in knowing this killer won’t walk free again.”