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Remembering Monica Islam: Eustis community honors murdered woman with vigil

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Published  May 10, 2025 12:15am EDT
Lake County
FOX 35 Orlando
Eustis community honors Monica Islam with vigil

Eustis community honors Monica Islam with vigil

Monica Islam was reported missing on May 2 in Eustis. Police said she walked out of the gas station on South Bay Street around 6:15 a.m. Islam was with her daughter in the store before she left. That was the last time Rimi saw her mother alive. Islam's body was found miles away in Mount Dora on Scenic Hill Drive. Lake County deputies said Islam was shot to death and was targeted.

The Brief

    • Monica Islam was last seen May 2 at a gas station in Eustis; her body was later found shot in Mount Dora.
    • Family and friends held a vigil Friday night, calling for justice and remembering her as a kind and strong woman.
    • Deputies have not named any suspects; the investigation remains ongoing.

EUSTIS, Fla. - A group of friends and customers gathered Friday night to honor the memory of a murdered mother. The vigil was held at the gas station where Islam' was last seen alive by her daughter, Rimi Islam.An eclectic group of mourners paid tribute to Monica Islam and called for justice.

The backstory:

Monica Islam was reported missing May 2 in Eustis. Police said she walked out of the gas station on South Bay Street around 6:15 a.m. Islam was with her daughter in the store before she left. That was the last time Rimi saw her mother alive.

Islam's body was found miles away in Mount Dora on Scenic Hill Drive. Lake County deputies said Islam was shot to death and was targeted.

What they're saying:

Dr. Joshua Douglas, chaplain for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, offered words of comfort during the vigil, which was cut short by rain.

"What we’re seeing with the rain right now is that He’s saying there can be a new day," Dr. Douglas said. "There can be a washing away of things. It doesn’t mean that we move on from something, but it does there can be a day that you move forward."

"They’ve become an everyday part of our family," vigil organizer Alisha Curtin said. "It’s kind of hard to hear that your friend or a really good friend has lost their mother."

Rimi Islam is still trying to process losing her mother.

"I never imagined something like this would happen to me, and I have to go through this," Rimi Islam said. "But I want to thank everyone that was with me."

"She never had any problems with anyone, and I didn’t have any problems with anyone, so we don’t really [see a] reason [for] doing this kind of thing," Rimi Islam said.

"I know I will get [justice]," Rimi Islam said. "I know that I will because I do trust the police. There’s a lot of people working on this. I do know I’m going to get some good news soon."

What's next:

Deputies have yet to name any suspects in this case.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35 News used information from Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri about Islam's disappearance. Information about the death investigation is from the Lake County Sheriff's Office. FOX 35 News spoke with the vigil organizer, Alicia Curtin, and spoke with the victim's daughter, Rimi Islam, while reporting from the vigil in Eustis. Rimi provided FOX 35 News with a picture to share.

 

Lake CountyCrime and Public Safety