Masoud Esmailian murder probe: Romanian man charged over death of West Bromwich pizza shop owner
A Romanian man has been charged with the murder of a Black Country pizza shop owner – more than two years after his death.
West Midlands Police officers travelled to the eastern European nation to extradite Andrei Cosmin Ilie, who has been charged with murdering Masoud Esmailian.
Ilie, 22, was returned to England under the terms of a European Arrest Warrant, and charged with the murder of the father-of-two in August 2015.
Mr Esmailian, 46, was found by police on August 28 at his home in Montgomery Walk, West Bromwich, after a concerned relative had raised the alarm.
A post mortem revealed Mr Esmailian had died of a stab injury.
Ilie, of no fixed address, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court today (thurs).
He has been remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday (dec18).
At an inquest last month Black Country senior coroner recorded that Mr Esmailian had been unlawfully killed, saying: "I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family."
Following his death, Mr Esmailian's family paid a heartfelt tribute to him.
They said the community stalwart had 'always thought of others before himself" and would be 'irreplaceable'.
A family statement said: “Masoud will always be in our hearts, the hardest thing to comprehend is that we will never see him again.
“He will not be here to see his sons marry and will never become a grandfather and see the children they will go on to have.
“Masoud was a caring, loving person who always thought of others before himself and was always there to help people who needed it.
“He was well thought of in the community and is and always will be irreplaceable.”
