A DeSoto County jury has convicted Reginald Reynard Roberts Jr. of first-degree murder and robbery with discharge of a firearm in the 2021 death of S.M. Saleh Ahmed, the owner of the Fiesta Food Mart in Arcadia. The verdict came on Sept. 22, following a trial that began Sept. 15 at the DeSoto County Courthouse.
Prosecutors said Roberts shot Ahmed on May 14, 2021, then took money from an open safe inside the store. The investigation, led by the Arcadia Police Department with help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, relied on store surveillance video, a thumbprint found on a box inside the safe, forensic examination, and witness evidence to identify Roberts.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6. Both convictions carry a minimum mandatory life sentence. The State Attorney’s Office said it hopes the verdict finally brings some closure to the Ahmed family. For a community that knew Ahmed as a fixture behind the counter of his neighborhood store, the conviction marks the end of a long wait. What does justice in a case like this mean to you? Let us know in the comments.
