City Desk

Posts Tagged ‘Immigration’

Must Read: Police Affidavit On Pizza Mart Murder

Today, the Washington Post had a nice scoop on the Pizza Mart murder, writing that the motive for the killing of Shahabuddin Rana wasn't robbery but involved a complicated immigration scheme. WaPo writes:

"At first, the slaying of Shahabuddin Rana, 44, inside his Pizza Mart in the 2300 block of Fourth Street NE appeared to have stemmed from a conventional robbery, police said. But they said a bizarre story took shape in the days afterward, leading to the arrest Friday of Shanika Robinson, 26, of Capitol Heights.

In an affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court, Detective Robert Cephas said a witness told him that Rana had been paying Robinson to continue in a sham marriage with his brother, a Pakistani national who helps run the Pizza Mart in the Edgewood neighborhood. The scheme was intended to improve the brother's immigration status and help him eventually get his green card, the affidavit says.

The deal fell apart, however, after the brother, whom police have not publicly identified, found out that Robinson "was having sexual affairs," Cephas wrote. Even though the brother and Robinson were married only on paper and did not live together, Rana "became upset" with Robinson and told her "that she would not be getting paid the money that they agreed upon anymore," the affidavit says."

City Desk has the affidavit which you can read [PDF].

Read More "Must Read: Police Affidavit On Pizza Mart Murder" »

Metro Crash Victim’s Family Is Receiving Hate Messages

The family of Ana Fernandez, a victim of the metro crash, tell WTOP they've gotten a bunch of hate calls from anti-immigrant crazies. The station reports:

"They have been getting hate-filled telephone messages about whether or not Fernandez, a mother of six, was a legal immigrant.

Her family gathered outside her Hyattsville apartment Wednesday. A crying woman who identified herself as Ana's sister said the accusations aren't true.

'Right now, the whole family is in pain. She was here legally, and all her children are legal. They were born here.'

She says she's grateful for the genuine expressions of sympathy, but has a message for the people who have been making the harassing calls.

'We all work, OK? And we're going to get through this.'"

WTOP reporter Kate Ryan writes in to Loose Lips with more details of the hate calls:

"Ana Fernandez' family tells me specifically that the calls accuse them of 'using the crash' to gain legal status for Ana. Again, the woman identifying herself as Ana's sister (and Ana's daughter Evelyn) tell me that not only was Ana legal, but that all six kids were born here."

Read More "Metro Crash Victim’s Family Is Receiving Hate Messages" »

Tonight at 6 p.m., Busboys & Poets hosts a reading and discussion of Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives, a collection of interviews with the people who make up the latest wave of immigrants to the United States. Justin Moyer recently reviewed the book for City Paper.

D.C. Dish Hall of Fame
advertisement
Crafty Bastards Blog
  • Crafty Bastards!
    Blog
Can I have seconds?

This Week

Current Issue
The Issue of Nov. 18 - 24, 2009

advertisement
advertisement