A man who worked as a food delivery driver to support his seven children and send money home to Venezuela was found shot and killed Monday night near The Catholic University of America’s campus in Northeast D.C.
Ruben Muñoz-Romero, of Takoma Park, Maryland, was the victim, police said. He was 38.
Muñoz-Romero worked day and night to support his family, his brother, Samuel Muñoz, told News4 partner Telemundo 44.
“A hardworking man. A man who worked so he could send money to his family, to his mother, to all of his loved ones,” he said in Spanish.
Muñoz-Romero was seen falling off a moped in the 400 block of Michigan Avenue NE, steps from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. D.C. police arrived at about 7:55 p.m. and saw that Muñoz-Romero had been shot. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
According to the preliminary investigation, police believe Muñoz-Romero was shot somewhere other than “the immediate area of Catholic University’s campus” and then traveled by moped to the place where he died.
Muñoz-Romero’s brother said he was stunned by the crime and that seven children just became orphans.
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Muñoz-Romero moved to the U.S. about two years ago and had worked as a food delivery worker for just a few months, his brother said. the victim had hoped the U.S. would be safer than Venezuela.
An investigation is underway. It’s still unclear who shot Muñoz-Romero, where or why.
'Join me in praying'
Catholic University went into shelter-in-place mode for about an hour after Muñoz-Romero was killed.
The university’s president, Peter Kilpatrick, asked the campus community to pray for Muñoz-Romero.
“Please join me in praying for the soul of the victim who lost his life, and offer our prayers and our sincerest condolences to his friends and family,” he said in a letter.
Kilpatrick said he believes Muñoz-Romero had no connection to the university.
The university president has previously advised students about crimes in the area. Earlier this year, a 14-year-old middle school student was shot and killed on the platform of the Brookland-CUA Metro station. Last summer, a teacher visiting D.C. for work was shot and killed on campus after he told his mother that someone was robbing him at gunpoint.
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Anyone with potentially relevant information on the killing of Muñoz-Romero is asked to contact police. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
