LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A Lake County judge has set the trial date for a man accused of walking into a convenience store and repeatedly shooting the clerk while the clerk was on the phone with his wife.
Investigators arrested Alex Lopez for the May 30, 2024, murder at the M&M Food Mart after a days-long manhunt that ended in an Osceola County hotel.
Lopez is accused of robbing and killing 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh, who was working the register. A court filing showed that Alex Lopez was identified by multiple sources, including Wildwood police, a corrections officer and Lopez’s own cousin, after videos and photos of the shooting were released.
The December 15 trial date would take place if Lopez does not reach a plea deal on his murder charge. Prosecutors took the death penalty off the table after Shihadeh’s wife said she believed life in prison was a worse penalty.
The trial date could also change if attorneys request more time to negotiate or gather evidence.
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