Brentwood man charged with killing his employee at Pleasant Hill pizza restaurant

PLEASANT HILL — The partner at a local pizzeria is set to go on trial next month on charges that he shot and killed an employee after a weeks-long dispute between the two men boiled over, court records show.

Khaled Ahmad Abukeshek, 58, of Brentwood, was charged with murder in 2023, after the alleged victim, 37-year-old Khalid Victor George Haddad, died from gunshot wound suffered outside My Pizza Way in Pleasant Hill. The case, which was never announced by authorities or covered by the media, is set to go on trial on Oct. 12, with one caveat — previous trial dates have already been postponed more than 10 times.

Court records indicate that Abukeshek — who has cycled through five different lawyers since being charged in 2023 — will argue self-defense. Haddad, an employee at the restaurant, had allegedly been threatening Abukeshek, who is described in court papers as a managing partner. On Dec. 2, 2022, Abukeshek allegedly pulled a gun and shot Haddad outside the restaurant on Pleasant Hill Boulevard.

But Haddad didn’t die for another eight months, though his death was the direct result of the gunshot wound, according to authorities. Haddad’s family has now sued Abukeshek, and other managing partners at the pizza restaurant, alleging they “negligently” allowed the homicide to occur, including by keeping the suspected murder weapon at the premises.

Haddad’s obituary describes him as “generous and tireless in his work ethic,” and known for a “refined taste for good food and valued organic, high-quality ingredients.” His family is praying for “justice,” the 2023 obituary says.

“Khalid was generous, tender-hearted, eccentric in the best way, and often unafraid to challenge norms,” the obituary says. “He loved soccer, video games, cars, and classic cinema. He was known as a pool shark across several communities throughout his youth and adult life.”

The lawsuit acknowledges that Abukeshek believed Haddad was threatening his life, but calls that belief unfounded. Authorities said at the time of the shooting that it was motivated by an ongoing dispute between the two men, according to media reports.