New Delhi: A crowdfunding campaign to help the family of a Pakistani immigrant and Uber Eats driver, who was killed in a carjacking incident in Washington DC last week, has managed to raise over $1 million in donations so far.
According to a GoFundMe page, set up by a relative of 66-year-old Mohammad Anwar, an amount of $1,051,250 has been raised via donations. GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowding platform.
Anwar’s family hoped to raise $100,000 to meet funeral and other expenses.
“Anwar was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend who always provided a smile when you needed one. He leaves behind a family, near and far, who cherish, love, and miss him dearly,” states the Go Fund Me page.
It added, “Anwar was the financial provider for his family. We would like to provide a traditional Islamic funeral for him and assist his family with the loss of income.”
Two girls, aged 13 and 15, have been charged with Anwar’s murder after their botched attempt at stealing his car resulted in his death, police said. They allegedly approached Anwar while he was waiting for his client in Southeast Washington, and assaulted him with a taser.
Video of incident sparks outrage
Anwar’s death garnered widespread attention after a graphic video of the carjacking incident emerged on social media last week. The video now has over 8.5 million views on Twitter.
Appalling footage of the carjacking near Nationals Park in Washington D.C. on Tuesday that resulted in the death of Pakistani immigrant & Uber Eats driver Mohammad Anwar. The teenage girls who police say used a Taser to steal the car face murder charges.pic.twitter.com/mOPnrLBf0t
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) March 27, 2021
In the clip, Anwar can be seen hanging out of the front door as two girls try to drive away with his vehicle while he asserts, “This is my car.” However, as the car speeds away, it crashes and lands on its side after which the girls climb out and a fatally injured Anwar lies motionless on the sidewalk. At the end of the video, one of the girls can be seen escaping from the crashed vehicle and screaming: “My phone is in there!”
An Uber representative told a radio station Monday, “We are devastated by this tragic news and our hearts go out to Mohammad’s family during this difficult time.”
Commander Ramey Kyle of the Washington DC Criminal Investigation Division said police had reasons to believe the teenage girls have been involved in similar incidents in the past.
According to The Washington Post, there have been 23 arrests this year of youths, aged 12 to 17, on carjacking charges in Washington DC, and 101 carjackings this year, compared with 22 during the same period in 2020.
(Edited by Neha Mahajan)
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