The family of a man shot to death on a Sacramento freeway during a carjacking made an impassioned plea today for the community to come forward with information in the case.
Sacramento police have not identified any suspects in the death of 53-year-old Ghulam Rabani Ayobi, nor have they identified a motive, authorities said.
Today, as they continued to reel from the news, his family asked for help.
"We need community support so the police can work on the investigation," said Munir Safi, Ayobi's 30-year-old nephew. "It's a senseless killing."
Late Saturday night, Ayobi and his wife got into their car, which was parked in a residential area near Torland Street, south of San Juan Road and west of Interstate 5 in the Gateway West area.
Safi told reporters today that his uncle sat down in the passenger's seat of the couple's miniman and was confronted by two unknown assailants hiding in the backseat. "Under diress," Safi said Ayobi yelled at his wife to sit down and "not ask too many questions."
Ayobi said the suspects told his aunt not to look at them, so she was unable to give a description of them. However, she believes one was male and one was female, Safi said.
Safi told reporters that his aunt said the suspects wanted money, and that his uncle had turned over his wallet. Before his aunt could hand over her purse, a struggle broke out and one of the suspects shot Ayobi.
The suspects ordered Ayobi's wife to pull over on eastbound Interstate 80, east of Northgate Boulevard, Safi said. After they fled, she pulled out her cell phone and called police, who told her to meet them at the Norwood Avenue offramp.
Ayobi was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Safi described his uncle as a good-natured family man who worked as a cultural advisor for the U.S. Army. Ayobi, born in Afghanistan, spent the last two years in Louisiana teaching soon-to-be-deployed soldiers about Afghani culture, language and customs.
Whenever he could get time off, he would come back to Foothill Farms, where his wife kept a home for her and the couple's four children. Ayobi had just arrived back in Sacramento on Friday night, Safi said.
Anyone with any information or who may have been traveling in the area at the time is encouraged contact the Sacramento Police Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in information to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information.
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