WASHINGTON - Authorities in the District have identified the body of a man found inside a pizza restaurant in Northeast Tuesday as 44-year-old Shahabuddin Rana of Silver Spring, Md.

Sources say family members made the disturbing discovery Tuesday morning in the 2300 block of 4th Street.

Detectives are inside the store Tuesday night while authorities say they are investigating the incident as a homicide.

The lights are on and from a distance, the Pizza Mart appears to be open but it is a crime scene hours after a man believed to be the owner was found dead inside.

Neighbors say the victim, known as Ock, was originally from Pakistan. They say he co-owned the place with his brother and that each man took turns working 12-hour shifts. His brother arrived Tuesday morning to find the door locked and his brother missing.

Tyrone Platter says he just bought food from Pizza Mart on Monday. "I can't believe it. I don't know. I really can't believe it," he said. He says when he stopped by Tuesday morning before a doctor's appointment, no one answered. While he thought nothing of it then, he says he's now in disbelief.

"I'm thinking maybe they're a little behind or something like that," he said. "Like I said, I was trying to catch that doctor's appointment."
Police say someone called 911 to check on an employee because nobody had heard from him since Monday night. Then, sources say they found a man dead inside.

Customers say Pizza Mart is usually open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They say the inside door with access to behind the counter is always locked.

"A person has to let you inside the door to get in. So for you to be in there to get to him -- he let you in," said LaTonya Price, a customer.

Police say the front door to Pizza Mart was locked when they got there around 1 p.m. Authorities also say fire investigators were originally called to the scene, but there wasn't a fire.

Investigators say there are no signs of a robbery and the victim died of trauma to the body. Now, detectives are carefully combing through the restaurant collecting clues.

It's believed someone came into the restaurant between 8 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. Tuesday. Still, there are no signs as to why someone committed such a heinous crime.

"People just trying to work every day to make money and some people who don't have a life just decide to kill someone without no reason for just a couple dollars," said Shermonta Hailstorks, a neighbor.

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