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Ashley Zuniga, who is also known as Ashley Garnett, was killed at the corner of Neal's Penn Road Extension and Baldwin Avenue. 7News was out on the scene shortly after, and we've been following the story of his murder, to find out if his past may have played a factor in it.

Daniel Ortiz reporting
The body of 23 year-old Ashley Garnett, who police know well as Ashley Zuniga laid out on the street, the last statement made as to where he was actually was when his assailants shot him to death.

After police gathered all the evidence they could find on the scene on Friday night, they allowed his family and friends to come close and view his body.

Angry at the tragic situation, his family member stepped away and threw down 2 personal items in frustration.

He later on hunched over trying to process the situation, and during that time he was inconsolable.

With their work done, police placed Garnett's body on a stretcher, ready to take him away.

Seeing this, his family member's grief swelled again, causing him to have an outburst. He had to be restrained by other family members and friends.

They did let him go, and he got a chance to see his loved one's body for the last time that night, being placed in the pan of the police mobile and taken away to the morgue.

Today, Dion Leslie, Zuniga's employer, told us about the last interactions he had with him.

Dion Leslie - Employer of Deceased
"I got a phone call around 8:30 from Mr. Grinage telling me that one of my employees, Ashley Zuniga got shot. I told him I haven't hired an Ashley Zuniga - I know Ashley Garnett and he told me it was the same person and that he had two last names. He told me that he needed me to go out there to help identify the body so I got out of bed and drove over to Pen Road extension. From I got the phone call I was in shock and disbelief because Friday he was actually the last person to leave here at the office. We paid everyone Friday and he was the last one to walk out of the office to get his pay and the last thing he told me was that he was a big Miami Heat fan and so I told him that I was going to get the Championship hat and that when I got it I would give it to him. It was the last thing we were joking about and of course he used to have the biggest smile on his face and that's what I remember him walking out of the office - happy because he got paid, happy because it's Friday and happy because he will get the hat. It was just disbelief reaching on the scene and seeing what had happened and up to today and the entire weekend, every time I close my eyes I see his face and him walking out of the office - it was just disbelief, he was a really good person. He was a hard worker, he was one of those guys that anything you asked him to do - he never said no nor did he hesitate whether it was delivering soap powder, cement, flour or whatever it is he didn't complain he just jumped in the truck and did his work."

That's the version of Ashley which Leslie knew today, but 5 years ago, he was a very controversial character, who was accused of different crimes.

He was never convicted of them, But, Zuniga became a targeted man, and he explained what life was like for him to us 5 years ago.

File: March 5, 2008

Ashley Zuniga - Shooting Victim
"One day I am in the street and I know someone is after me and I am just trying to be strong and face it because people are sending threats and right now threats are serious with what's happening in Belize. So what happened is that the young man met me this morning and he just decided to bust open shots."

Jacqueline Godwin,
"And you never tried to kill anyone?"

Ashley Zuniga,
"I didn't try to kill nobody. All charges were dropped against me, which I didn't know about. So who is to blame? I don't know who to blame, maybe the police who charged me because of the investigation they didn't do correct and so my life is on the line now. So I have to face it and I am trying to be a better person in life."

2 years after that, Ashley Zuniga made a complete turn-around, and that's when he joined Leslie's staff as a full-time employee.

Dion Leslie
"About three years ago Ashley came around and he used to come off and on and one day he came and said 'boss I'm tired of asking for help and I want a job' - by chance at that same time we had a position that opened up. So I told him I didn't mind giving him a chance, I believe in giving everybody a second chance and I told him before that I needed to talk to him. So we sat down and talked and we went over his past because if he's going to work here I wouldn't want to endanger the life of myself, the other employees, himself because he will be out ni town delivering so we sat down and talked - he started working and he passed the first two months and it was perfect, one of the hardest workers and the thing is he was always smiling. That was what we were talking about that anytime he is always smiling, joking around and he was never at work miserable and he didn't bring his problems at work and was just a jovial person to be around."

Well, apparently, whatever problems he may have had in his past, caught up with him on Friday night, long after work. And now, everyone who knew the new version of Ashley Zuniga, won't be able to fully understand what led his assailant to gun him down on Penn Road.

Police say that they recovered six .45 expended shells from the scene, and they believe that Zuniga's assailant drove up behind him and executed the attack.