On the evening of February 11, 2021, Riyadh Al Janabi, a 23-year-old male security guard, was ambushed and fatally shot while on duty at an apartment complex in Riverdale, Maryland. The young man from Rockville was sitting in his car when the assailant struck, shooting him twice in the face before stealing his vehicle and leaving him to die in the parking lot.
First responders found him on the pavement with mortal wounds, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly thereafter.
The investigation into the senseless killing led Prince George's County Police to 24-year-old Desmond Mbah of Bowie. Through various investigative techniques, detectives identified Mbah as the suspect and arrested him. The preliminary investigation revealed that the motive for the deadly encounter was a carjacking. Al Janabi's stolen four-door sedan was also recovered. Following his arrest, Mbah confessed to the fatal shooting.
Desmond Mbah was charged with first and second-degree murder, carjacking, and related firearm offenses. He was held without bond. In September 2023, a jury found Mbah guilty of first-degree murder, armed carjacking, and use of a firearm in a crime of violence. Prosecutors had argued that the killing was a premeditated and targeted attack.
In March 2024, Desmond Mbah, then 27, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Riyadh Al Janabi. The judge presiding over the case described the crime as 'calculated and deliberate.' In addition to the life sentence for the murder, Mbah also received a 25-year sentence for the armed carjacking and 20 years for the use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
