Lexington Police said tips from the public helped lead to an arrest in this month’s murder of a pizza delivery driver.
Salahuddin Jitmoud, a 22-year-old Pizza Hut employee was delivering a pizza to Walnut Hill Apartments on the night of April 19, when he was stabbed and left in a breezeway to die.
Antonio Lewis was charged late Monday night with murder and robbery in connection with Jitmoud’s death. As the 30-year-old suspect was escorted to the Fayette County Detention Center, Lewis was asked if he had killed Jitmoud to which he responded, “No, I didn’t.”
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Arraigned in a Fayette County District courtroom on Tuesday afternoon, Lewis pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. No bond was set for the suspect.
“I was a bit surprised because we hadn’t really heard anything about any people of interest, so it was shocking, but in a good way,” said Jitmoud’s friend, Miles Meehan about learning of the arrest.
Meehan described Jitmoud as a respectful man who was passionate about the arts, specifically film and music: “Nothing anybody does is gonna bring Salahuddin back, which is what we want. For him to be alive.”
Court records indicate Lewis has been arrested several times over the years, on charges involving drugs, fleeing and evading police, and theft.
The suspect’s sister, Alnisha Lewis told LEX 18’s Josh Breslow that her brother is not a killer: “If my brother did it, I would want him to do time for a murder, if he did it. But I know for a fact that he didn’t do it, so that’s why I’m gonna stand by his side, and stand with him through thick and thin, through the end with this.”
Lewis’ girlfriend, Kayla Shepherd said she has told investigators that she was with Lewis the night of Jitmoud’s murder: “He was asleep with me the whole night. It was storming. I woke up to shut my bedroom window and he was still there, asleep. So I know he was asleep that night and there’s no way he could have done this.”
According to court documents, Antonio Lewis lives in the apartment complex where the murder happened.
Lewis is expected back in court the morning of Thursday, May 7th. He declined LEX 18’s request for an interview from the Fayette County Detention Center.
