Two teenage girls have been charged with murder after allegedly assaulting a man with a taser and killing him during an attempted car robbery in Washington, D.C., police said last week.
Mohammad Anwar, 66, was assaulted Tuesday with a taser when two girls attempted to carjack him, the Metropolitan Police Department
said in a news release.
Graphic video posted to Twitter shows Anwar in a struggle with the suspects, who then speed off and crash and flip the car with him hanging onto the side. After arriving at the scene and transporting Anwar to the hospital, police said, "all lifesaving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead."
Anwar had been working on an UberEats delivery Tuesday when the two girls attempted to carjack him, according to a
GoFundMe set up by a family member.
A 13-year-old and a 15-year-old were charged Wednesday with felony murder and armed carjacking with a taser.
Anwar immigrated from Pakistan in 2014, his family told
NBC4.
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"Anwar was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend who always provided a smile when you needed one," said the GoFundMe for Anwar. "He leaves behind a family, near and far, who cherish, love, and miss him dearly."
The GoFundMe raised more than $500,000 dollars in three days since it was published Thursday. Anwar was the financial provider for the family, and the funds will be used to pay for his lost income and to provide a traditional Islamic funeral, according to the fundraising page.
"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," an update to the GoFundMe said.
Mayor Muriel Bowser drew criticism Sunday for sharing a video on preventing auto thefts, amidst calls for her to acknowledge Anwar's death.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the Mayor's Office of Communications said that the post, which was "prescheduled" on Twitter, was a part of an effort to "raise awareness about a troubling increase in this violent crime, related arrests and safety tips."
The post "should not detract from the tragic death of Mohammad Anwar," the statement continued. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family and the families of those we have lost to violence."
46 carjackings occurred in the nation's capital in the first five weeks of this year, compared to eight by that time last year, according to
The Washington Post. But in all of 2020, MPD had reported 345 carjackings, up 143 percent from 142 in 2019.
"We are devastated by this tragic news and our hearts go out to Mohammad's family during this difficult time. We're grateful the suspects have been arrested and thank the Metropolitan Police Department for their diligence with this investigation," an Uber spokesperson said to
WTOP.
Twitter HashTags associated with this case are: #PakistaniLivesMatter, #PLM, #ALM, #StopAsianHate, #IStandWithMuhammadAnwar, #Anwar, #MuslimLivesMatter