This is a developing story and is being updated regularly.
Organizers of an online fund-raising have raised more than a million dollars for a Pakistani-American Uber Eats driver who was killed during a carjacking incident in Washington, D.C.
Police said two teenage girls were charged in the carjacking death of Mohammad Anwar, 66, of Springfield, VA, after they assaulted him with a taser before a motor vehicle accident on March 23.
The suspects, “a 13-year-old juvenile female, of Southeast, DC, and a 15-year-old juvenile female, of Fort Washington, MD,” were arrested and charged with felony murder and armed carjacking, police said. Anwar immigrated from Pakistan in 2014.
Detective Chad Leo of the Metropolitan Police Department testified in court that the girls entered Anwar’s car armed with a stun gun and a struggle ensued, The Washington Post reported. Anwar was hanging out of the open driver’s side door when one of the girls turned on the ignition and “manipulated” the gear shift, Leo said.
The car suddenly accelerated down the street and made a sharp right turn before crashing into a parked car and overturning moments later, Leo testified.
Anwar sustained serious injuries, including multiple broken bones, as a result of the incident, Leo testified. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators determined the girls “assaulted the victim with a taser” during the carjacking, police said in a statement.
A witness recorded a video of the aftermath of the crash that showed National Guard troops helping the girls out of the wreckage.
Fundraising for funeral, loss of income
Lehra Bogino, who is married to Anwar’s nephew, organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise $100,000 to cover the cost of the funeral of Anwer and loss of income for his family. However, the fundraising surpassed 1,51,250 dollars by March 30 with tens of thousands of donors pledging 1 – 100 dollars for the victim’s family. the outpouring of sympathy and support was unprecedented and beyond community lines.
“Although money won’t fill the gaping hole that his death has left in our family, it will help remove some of the stress and worry of daily living while we grieve and heal,” Bogino wrote on the GoFundMe page.
“Anwar was the financial provider for his family. We would like to provide a traditional Islamic funeral for him and assist his family with the loss of income … Everything posted on this GoFundMe page has been approved and sanctioned by the immediate family.”
Mohammad Anwar was a hard-working Pakistani immigrant who came to the United States in search of a better life for him and his family. He was simply at work, when his life was tragically taken in a shocking act of violence. While the case is still being investigated by the police, witnesses say Anwar was working on an Uber Eats delivery when two assailants attempted to carjack him in Navy Yard.
D.C. Fire and EMS responded to a crash on the 1200 block of Van Street in Southeast around 4:45 p.m.
“I saw all the police cars first. Then I saw the car, and I thought, ‘This must be a movie scene or something,'” Pamela Johnson, a D.C. resident who frequents the area of the crash, said.
Anwar was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend who always provided a smile when you needed one. He leaves behind a family, near and far, who cherish, love, and miss him dearly.
“Words cannot describe how our family is feeling currently. Devastation, confusion, shock, anger, heartache, and anguish are just a few that come to mind. We will carry him with us always, but it doesn’t take the pain away of losing him so tragically and so unexpectedly soon,” the family wrote on the GoFundMe page.
“Thank you to everyone that has shared their stories, offered condolences, added our family into their prayers, and were able to donate. Whether it was $1 or $100, we are so grateful that you were able, and willing, to donate to our family during this terrible time. This money will help with providing Uncle Anwar with a proper Islamic burial, loss of wages for the family, and pain and suffering. Although money won’t fill the gaping hole that his death has left in our family, it will help remove some of the stress and worry of daily living while we grieve and heal,” Bogino wrote on the GoFundMe page.