Syrian Refugee Khaled Heeba Fled War Only To Be Shot, Killed While On Pizza Delivery Route In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A refugee who fled war in Syria is among the latest Baltimore homicide victims.
Khaled Heeba's family said he was killed just before Friday prayer, while he was delivering pizza in west Baltimore.
"If you know him, you had to love him, because that's the type of good person he was," said Kimberly Mcmanaway, who worked with Khaled.
His co-workers at Vizzini's Pizza said he was beyond a delivery driver.
"He was our friend and family. You couldn't have a better person that what you had in Khaled. Why somebody would do this, I don't know," Mcmanaway said.
Police said they don't know how the incident started, but that Khaled was out on delivery at the time.
"Putting in a hard day's work and he didn't come home. Help us figure it out," said Baltimore Police Detective Donny Moses.
Police on Monday showed WJZ a video of the person they said is the killer who shot Khaled on the run.
"The suspect was an unknown male, who looked to be about 5'9" with a slim build, who was dressed in all black," Det. Moses said.
Through a translator, Khaled's parents said he was a family man, worked hard to pay off his house, not far from where he was killed.
"I have not seen any of the refugees who was as hard-working as him. And he's a very good family man to his mother and father," said Raghad Bushnag, with Mozaic DMV.
Raghad Bushnaq works with a group that helps refugees resettle. Khaled and his family fled the war in Syria seven years ago. They left Damascus for Egypt and arrived in the U.S. three years ago.
"He is a man with high character. He has a tender heart. He helps everyone. He goes out of his way to help people," Bushnaq said.
"This is the life we live in right now. This is a war zone here. Do you leave your country to come here and ours is a war zone. Everybody's killing someone around the corner that you know." Mcmanaway said.
Making things tougher for the Heeba family, his mother said her oldest son is in Germany right now and cannot come to be with his family because of the travel ban affecting Syrians.
Anyone with information on Khaled's murder is urged to call police.
