LEESBURG, Fla. - Alex Lopez barely stood a chance on the run when his photo was released to the public after he allegedly shot and killed a Leesburg convenience store owner in May.
Newly released documents show that multiple people pointed out Lopez as the shooter, some of whom included a family member and a friend. Lopez is accused of walking into the M&M Food Mart and killing 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh who was working the register on May 30. Shihadeh was on Facetime with his wife, Monique Shihadeh, when the shooting happened.
Shortly after the shooting, surveillance video showed a man walking into the convenience store and allegedly shooting the clerk several times before hopping over the counter and eventually leaving the store. Photos of the man were posted to social media and online, resulting in several people coming forward and identifying Lopez as the accused shooter.
According to police, the first tip came from a Wildwood police officer who had previously interacted with Lopez on numerous occasions.
A second tip came in from a woman who knew Lopez and identified him as the shooter to the Wildwood Police Department.
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Man arrested in Leesburg store killing: Officials
Alez Lopez, 25, of Wildwood, was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the Kissimmee area on Wednesday. He is accused of walking into the M&M Food Mart and killing 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh, who was working the register on May 30.
A third tip came in from Lopez' cousin, who positively identified Lopez as the shooter. He told police he saw the social media post about Lopez and "immediately recognized the suspect as his cousin," a probable cause document shows.
A correctional officer from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office also told police the man in the surveillance video was Alex Lopez. He told police Lopez was in custody a few months before and had interacted with the officer several times, police said.
Lopez has previously been arrested for property crimes and was released from jail back in February. He also has a prior conviction for robbery, records show.
He is facing several charges following the death of Shihadeh, which include premeditated murder, armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and using a weapon during a felony.