Police identify clerk killed at Herndon gas station on July Fourth, 19-year-old suspect in custody

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Officials have now identified the gas station clerk who was killed early July Fourth in Fairfax County.

Fairfax County police say 40-year-old Resham Bajgain was working at a Sunoco gas station in Herndon early Wednesday when he was killed during what police believe was a robbery attempt at the business.

Officials say they have arrested a 19-year-old suspect, who is facing murder charges.

Police say they were called to the gas station in a shopping plaza, in the 13300 block of Franklin Farm Road at around 1:15 a.m.

Witnesses called 911 to say a black man in a bandana was trying to rob people outside of the gas station.

One caller said the man tried to steal his cell phone before he was able to drive off.

911 recordings have been released of the initial call for police:

"Caller advises police that the place just got robbed---subject is a black male wearing a black bandana, no shirt, black pants".
"K-9 6--k-9-6 start rescue to the Sunoco please I have the clerk down there is blood everywhere."
"K-9 6 the clerk is on his ahhhhh...No pulse".

Officers say they believe the clerk was attacked by the suspect, Mohamed Abdullahi, when he was attempting to rob the store.

Police say Bajgain died after he suffered blunt force trauma to the upper body.

Bajgain had recently immigrated to the United States from Nepal. He was married with a young child.

As police were wrapping up their investigation this morning members of the tight-knit Nepalese community came to the station to offer support and learn what happened.

None of them said they knew Bajgain well, explaining that he had only just arrived in the country.

The gas station is owned by 7-Eleven, but the regional managers who came to the scene declined to comment.

Several people who live in the neighborhood stopped by to leave flowers and offer their condolences.

All of them saying the people who work at the station couldn't be nicer.

"I haven't lived here for that long, five or six years, but they all knew me and even when I came in with my partner they knew us both by name and face. They knew what we would often order or ask fo. They just felt like they really cared and I'm not sure who it was but I just want to say to the family I am thinking of you and my heart goes out to you and the co-workers," says one Herndon woman.

Abdullahi is now in police custody after he was arrested in the parking lot of the gas station.

No recent charges could be found for Mohamed Abdullahi in online court records. FOX5's email to the corporate 7-Eleven offices has not been returned.

They believe the suspect approached several people in the shopping center and are asking anyone with information to contact them, including the driver of a Pontiac GTO who was believed to be near the Sunoco around the time of the incident.