Raheem Malik Meals Sentenced to Life Without Parole for Delivery Driver’s Death

A man who robbed and fatally shot a marijuana delivery driver in Southcrest was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Raheem Malik Meals, who was 18 years old at the time of the shooting, was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, plus a special-circumstance allegation of murder in the commission of a robbery for the Jan. 15, 2020 killing of 20-year-old Ismail Abouabid.

Officers responded to a report of a possible traffic accident on Boston Avenue shortly before noon that day and found Abouabid behind the wheel of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head.

The victim, who had recently relocated to San Diego from Erie, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors alleged Meals arranged the marijuana purchase, then robbed and shot the victim.

Meals, now 22, was arrested in August of 2020 in connection with the homicide.

Along with murder, Meals was convicted for the Jan. 15 robbery, as well as a separate attempted robbery that occurred a few weeks prior to Abouabid’s killing. His life without parole sentence includes a consecutive term of nearly 24 years for the robbery, attempted robbery and a gun-use allegation.

— City News Service