A Maryland man stopped for gas on his way to work early Thursday and was shot in the face with a rifle as three people tried to steal his car. The search for the attackers is ongoing.
The victim is expected to survive after a bullet went through his mouth, his wife said.
“The doctor told me he would undergo surgery and that he would be OK,” she said in Spanish, speaking exclusively with Telemundo Washington.
Stunning video shows the moments the victim was ambushed at an Exxon station on Greenbelt Road near Hanover Parkway at about 3:25 a.m. The victim is in the driver’s seat of a white car when a dark-colored Toyota Corolla pulls up. Someone jumps out of the front passenger seat with a rifle. A second person follows, with both dressed all in black.
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The victim and attackers appear to exchange words, the surveillance footage shows, and the victim starts to get out of his car.
Then one of the attackers fires the rifle into the victim’s face. In our coverage, News4 froze the video footage at the moment the shot was fired.
The two attackers jump back into the car with a third person in the driver’s seat and speed off — leaving the victim on the ground.
An investigation is underway by Greenbelt police, who shared images of the suspects and noted that the shooter was wearing red shoes.
'I called his phone and a man answered'
The victim’s wife said she knew something was wrong when she called him early Thursday and someone else picked up.
“I called his phone and a man answered and told me it was a wrong number. That’s when I started to think something was going on,” she said.
She rushed to the hospital and saw her husband’s swollen face.
“It’s sad. It’s sad because it’s unexpected. All of a sudden, they attack you,” she said, wringing her hands.
Seeking safety, the victim’s family moved to Greenbelt less than two months ago.
"We came from Capitol Heights, we lived there. [We moved] because of the danger — always because of the danger,” she said.
The attackers were able to take the victim’s keys and phone, his wife said.
Greenbelt police and Prince George’s County police are looking into whether the attackers went on to commit a second crime early Thursday.
‘I can’t sleep’
Gas station workers said they live in fear of constant violence. Cashier Mohammed Hosain was robbed at gunpoint two weeks ago.
“Honestly, I can’t sleep in the nighttime. I wake up maybe 10, 15 times a night,” he said.
The station upgraded its security cameras and may install bulletproof glass.
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Anyone with information that’s potentially relevant to the crime Thursday is asked to contact police.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
