Police Make Arrest in Killing of Clerk
Mother of murder suspect apologizes to victim's family
Police located Kezlyn Mendez in Hartford Monday and arrested him in for the murder of Belal Terafder, a store clerk in East Hartford.
The mother of the suspect in the killing of an East Hartford convenience store clerk said she is sorry for what she believes her son did on Saturday night.
East Hartford police located Kezlyn Mendez, 25, in Hartford on Monday and charged him with the murder of Luthfur Tarafdar.
"I can't make it up to their family, but please accept my apology and he's gonna serve his time," Leatha McFarland, Mendez's mother, said.
McFarland came by the Burnside Avenue store on Monday night to ask for forgiveness for what police said her son did over the weekend.
Tarafder, 47, was gunned down during a robbery at the Circle H Food Mart on Saturday night. Tarafder was shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
"I'm hurt because the people that owned this store were my friends for five years," McFarland said. "They always have been good to me."
According to police, Mendez left physical evidence at the scene of the crime. Police obtained search warrants, and arrested Mendez on Monday.
McFarland wasn't sure what went wrong at the store. She said that she kicked her son out of the house six months ago after several run-ins with the law. Mendez also had a temper, she added.
"When he doesn't have what he wants, he's angry," McFarland said.
News of the arrest brought some comfort to Tarafder's friends and loyal customers, who dropped off flowers and candles outside the store.
"My heart goes out to them," Malik Ali, a friend, said. "It's very hard to hold in my tears."
Mendez is charged with murder, felony murder, first-degree robbery, criminal use of a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm.
He is being held on $1.5 million bond.
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