Expand / Collapse search
☰

Widow of slain Leesburg clerk still seeking answers 1 year after husband's killing

By
Published  June 4, 2025 11:38pm EDT
Lake County
FOX 35 Orlando
Widow asks for justice, husband killed in store robbery

Widow asks for justice, husband killed in store robbery

The widow of the man who was killed last May while working at his convenience store is asking for justice. FOX 35's Randi Hildreth learns more about the ongoing case and the suspects involved.

The Brief

    • A Leesburg widow is still waiting for justice a year after her husband was shot at work.
    • The accused killer is awaiting trial, but family members who allegedly helped him evade arrest were not charged.
    • The victim’s wife says legal delays have stalled her healing.

LEESBURG, Fla. - A year after her husband was gunned down during a robbery at a Leesburg convenience store, Monique Shihadeh says the pain is still raw — and justice still feels far away.

What we know:

In May 2024, Monique Shihadeh’s husband, 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh, was shot and killed during a robbery at M&M Food Mart in Leesburg. The fatal shooting occurred less than an hour before his shift was scheduled to end. 

The accused gunman, Alex Lopez, evaded police for weeks before being captured at a hotel in Kissimmee. He faces a murder charge, and his court proceedings are ongoing, with the next appearance expected later this month.

What we don't know:

The State Attorney’s Office has not released a full explanation of why charges were dropped against two women accused of helping Lopez hide: his sister, Breanna Lopez, and girlfriend, Kaili Dupuis. Shihadeh is waiting on the case report outlining that decision.

What they're saying:

Shihadeh was on FaceTime with her husband at the time of the shooting, an experience that has left her emotionally scarred. The trauma, compounded by the slow pace of legal proceedings, has prevented her from finding closure.

"There’s not a moment in the day that I don’t think of that phone call," she said. 

The accused gunman, Alex Lopez, was arrested after weeks on the run. Investigators eventually tracked him to a hotel in Kissimmee, where members of his family and his girlfriend were also accused of helping him hide. Lopez is charged with murder, and his case is ongoing. 

"I just hate that it constantly takes so long for a family to get closure in a case, and that it takes so long to build a case," Shihadeh said. "The victims are always the ones that get the short end of the stick… and it’s criminals' rights who are upheld."

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Leesburg Police Department and Monique Shihadeh. 

Lake CountyOsceola CountyCrime and Public Safety