Suspect arrested in cabbie road rage death Caught, questioned in Pennsylvania

What a senseless death. My condolences to Elwaleed's wife and children.





Wife and son mourn hit-and-run death of Brooklyn cab driver

BY VERONIKA BELENKAYA and CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Wednesday, November 21st 2007, 4:00 AM
Cabbie Mohammed Elwaleed was killed in midtown Manhattan early Tuesday when he climbed out of his taxi to argue with another motorist - who then mowed him down, cops said.

Mohammed Elwaleed's senseless death plunged his wife Mayada into mourning while their 7-year-old son struggled to understand what happened.

"She can't stop crying because Daddy won't come home," Khalid Elwaleed said. "I think God took him."

Cops were searching for the murderous motorist and the other occupant of the Nissan Altima, both of whom abandoned the car and fled on foot - leaving the 44-year-old Sudanese immigrant to die in the street.

"We have a suspect's name," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. "I don't want to put that name out at this time, but we believe we know the individual who was driving the car."

Elwaleed, a U.S. citizen who had driven a cab for eight years, had less than an hour to go on his shift when he got into the fatal confrontation just after midnight at Madison Ave. and 65th St.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the quarrel between the cabbie and the occupants of the Nissan. Police traced the car to a 40-year-old Manhattan man. Sources said the Nissan had not been reported stolen. The taxi union offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

In Ditmas Park, Elwaleed's 27-year-old wife cradled their 18-month-old son, Ahmed, and cried, "I love him, I miss him, I can't believe this happened!"

Little Khalid said his dad was supposed to come to his Thanksgiving celebration today at PS 139, where he is a second-grader.

"He took me to places like McDonald's and Burger King and Toys 'R' Us," the boy said. "One time in the first grade, my dad took me to the circus. He made a surprise for me. It was so fun."

Family friends said the Elwaleeds were like honeymooners.

"Everyone was always jealous of them because they were so in love together," said family friend Sheza Mohamed, 34. "She can't believe he died."

Elwaleed immigrated from Sudan to New York 15 years ago. Two years ago he was able to bring his wife and older boy to the U.S. Things were looking up for the reunited family.

"He was so happy because he bought a computer for his family," said Osama Mostafa, a longtime friend. "He probably still had the receipt in his pocket. He was so jubilant about buying that computer."

A devoted dad, Elwaleed always called home to say good-night to his wife and son when he worked the night shift.

"She talked to him right before it happened," Mohamed said. "He told her, 'Go to sleep, I'm coming home.'"

In hindsight, his parting words to his wife took on a new poignancy.

"Last night before he left he told her, 'You have to take care of the boys,'" Mohamed recalled. "She was surprised when he said that."

A funeral service will be held this morning at the Masjid Al-Ihssan mosque on Atlantic Ave. and Fulton St. in Brooklyn. After that, his widow will fly his body home to Sudan for burial.

Friends said she and her sons are unlikely to return.

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With Alison Gendar and Tanangachi Mfuni
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007...run_death_of_br.html

(Edited by Adil Osman on 11-23-2007, 03:03 PM)

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