A Virginia resident has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for the murder of a non-violence activist’s son, whom he ambushed with his vehicle as the victim was on his way to work.

Jalen Garces, 31, was convicted in August on charges of second-degree murder and using a firearm during the murder of 33-year-old Ali Karim Muhammad, which occurred in June 2023. On Friday, a judge handed Garces a 28-year prison sentence, according to a statement from the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney.

The tragic incident took place shortly after 10 p.m. on June 29, 2023. Garces drove to Muhammad’s apartment on First Bay Street in Norfolk, parking his vehicle in a way that blocked Muhammad in. When Muhammad emerged from his apartment to head to work, he noticed the obstruction and inquired with a bystander about the car’s owner, hoping it could be moved.

Approximately 20 minutes later, while Muhammad was on a phone call with his father, Garces exited the apartment and declined to relocate his car. An argument between the two men quickly escalated, during which Garces brandished a firearm.

“Get that gun out of my face,” Muhammad reportedly told Garces, as recounted by his father in court.

Moments later, a gunshot was fired.

Paramedics rushed to the scene where they pronounced Muhammad dead. An autopsy later determined Muhammad suffered a contact gunshot wound to the torso.

Muhammad’s father Bilal Muhammad told local NBC affiliate WAVY that while he wished Garces got more prison time, he felt like justice was served. He also called out his son’s killer for not addressing them when he had a chance to do so at sentencing.

“He didn’t even stand up to apologize to us,” Bilal Muhammad told reporters. “He acted like, ‘Oh well, so what?’ And that’s the type of attitude he displayed when a judge asked him, ‘Do you have anything to say to the court, to the family? And you say no?’”

Ali Muhammad’s 11-year-old daughter told the judge about the impact her father’s death has had on her.

“My anxiety kicked in, and it’s hard to breathe when you have anxiety and you overthink about a lot of things,” she said.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi thanked the investigators and prosecutors who helped put Garces away.

“Gun violence touches every family in America, even the family of Bilal Muhammad, who has dedicated his life to stopping gun violence,” he said. “Mr. Garces’ sentence fits his unnecessary and senseless killing of Ali Muhammad. Unfortunately, nothing can bring Ali back to his father, siblings, and daughters. I wish them peace as they move forward. I remind everyone that, once someone pulls the trigger, they cannot get the bullet back, and they will likely alter not just someone else’s life forever but their own.”

As Law&Crime previously reported, detectives used street cameras to place Garces’s dark-colored Ford Mustang at the scene. Virginia Beach police arrested him two days after the shooting for allegedly driving under the influence. Data from the vehicle revealed it was at the scene and surveillance images from stores Garces frequented shortly before the shooting showed he was the only person in the car.

Detectives also spoke with the woman Garces was supposed to see at Muhammad’s apartment complex. She testified Garces never showed up and he sounded “frantic” when she called him, prosecutors said.

Jurors convicted Garces after deliberating for about six hours following the three-day trial.

“My deepest condolences go out to Mr. and Mrs. Muhammad and to Ali’s entire family for their tragic loss,” said Fatehi. “Mr. Garces had no reason to kill Ali and to take him from his family. I was at the scene of this crime, as I am for every homicide in Norfolk, and I have no doubt that the information from the Flock camera system made the difference between an arrest and conviction and an unsolved murder.”

Flock cameras, which capture extensive data and details about cars and drivers, have been controversial in the state.

Bilal Muhammad spoke with reporters after the verdict.

“It’s a beautiful day,” he said. “Our son Ali is smiling. My wife and I are so happy.”