Leesburg police say Alex Lopez murdered store owner Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, 51, at Fast Stop Superette in Leesburg in 2024. Lopez’ trial is set to begin this week.

Trial set to begin in ’24 murder of Leesburg store owner

Inside Scoop, Leesburg | By Marilyn M. Aciego | December 15, 2025 | Armed Robbery, Florida, Lake County, Leesburg, Murder | 1 minute of reading

TAVARES, Fla.—The trial of the man accused of killing a Leesburg store owner is scheduled to begin this week, according to court records.

Alex Lopez, 26, is accused of gunning down Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, 51, during a robbery at Fast Stop Superette, 3702 Picciola Road, on May 30, 2024 and fleeing the scene. Shihadeh was airlifted to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

*Raied “Ray” Shihadeh. Photo courtesy of Monique Shihadeh*

Lopez, of Wildwood, was on the run for nearly a month after the murder, before being captured at a Kissimmee motel by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Violent Crimes Task Force.

Lopez is facing charges of first degree murder, armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and using a firearm during a felony.

About The Author

Marilyn M. Aciego

Publisher Marilyn M. Aciego was born and raised in Lake County and is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She began her journalism career at LSSC and in 2023 she was honored with LSSC’s Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement Award. She began working at the Daily Commercial while she was in college and continued her career there as a reporter after she graduated. In her 20+ year-career, she covered many of the area’s top stories including the disappearance of Trenton Duckett and the death of beloved Sheriff Chris Daniels. She has landed many exclusive interviews and was the first to break two of the biggest stories of 2024- the death of Jamaria Sessions and the murder of a Lake County Sheriff's Office deputy and the attempted murder of two other deputies. In addition to Inside Lake, Marilyn is the single mom of a teenaged son and the Florida Bureau Chief for an international media organization.

About The Author

Marilyn M. Aciego

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