Man arrested for killing in Leesburg store: officials
Alez Lopez, 25, of Wildwood, was arrested Wednesday by Florida State Police in the Kissimmee area. He is accused of walking into the M&M Food Mart on May 30 and killing 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh, who was working the cash register.
LEESBURG, Florida. – Family members of the 25-year-old man who allegedly robbed and killed the owner of a Leesburg convenience store in May are accused of helping the suspect hide from police for about a month before he was caught.
Leesburg police announced three new suspects in connection with the May 30 armed robbery of the M&M Food Mart – the mother, sister and girlfriend of Alex Lopez, who is currently in custody on several charges, including premeditated murder, armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a firearm during a crime.
Alex Lopez (Photo: Osceola County Corrections, Leesburg Police Department)
Lopez is accused of killing 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh, who was working at the cash register that day and was also communicating with his wife via FaceTime at the time of the shooting, police said.
Raied Shihadeh, 51, was shot and killed by a robbery suspect in a Leesburg supermarket. (Photo: Tarleshia Jerger)
“He worked hard there for his family,” his wife Monique Shihadeh said in a previous interview with FOX 35. “And these scum came and took him away from us.”
According to police, arrest warrants were issued on Thursday for the following people:
- Patricia Kinchens (Lopez’s mother)
- Breanna Lopez (Lopez’s sister)
- Kaili Dupuis (Lopez’s girlfriend)
They are all charged with the following: aiding and abetting premeditated murder, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon, and display/use of a weapon during a crime.
Kinchens and Breanna Lopez were arrested on Thursday.
Left: Patricia Kinchens (mother) | Right: Breanna Lopez (sister) | Photo: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Dupuis, 25, is still at large and police are asking the public for help in finding her.
Kaili E. Dupuis (Photo: Leesburg Police Department)
That’s how authorities managed to catch Alex Lopez – through tips. After Leesburg police released photos of the suspect, several tips came in from his cousin, an acquaintance and several police officers who identified Alex Lopez as the suspected shooter, documents show.
Anyone with information on Dupuis’ whereabouts is asked to contact Leesburg Police at 352-787-2121 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
