MetroNews Canada
By Staff
Metroland News Service
Metroland News ServicePolice examine the exterior of a burned out vacant building at the corner of Main St E & Ashford Blvd. The fire started early Saturday morning.
The last conversation Alicia Anbari had with her husband Samir Anbari was on the night he died.
He called her to let her know he was trapped in a building on fire.
“He was screaming into the phone: ‘Fire! Fire! Fire! It’s on fire!” said Anbari.
His last words he spoke to her were “I love you.
“You’re my everything. Don’t forget me, I’ll never forget you. I love you.”
Samir, 21, died in a fire Hamilton police have deemed to be an arson that happened at a former 7-Eleven store at 810 Main St. E at 4 a.m. Saturday near Barnsedale Boulevard, not far from Gage Park.
Sitting in the home they shared together on the west Mountain, Anbari is constantly reminded of her husband.
“Every room holds a memory of him,” said Anbari. “He was the perfect husband for me.”
They met in 2008 online. Samir was living in Morocco, she in Hamilton. The two quickly became friends and fell in love.
Two years later they were married in Casablanca, Morocco.
He was 19 she was 21. He came to Canada just eight months ago to finally be with his wife.
“We were happy. Ecstatic. It was like ‘wow you’re here,’” said Anbari.
They had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary July 19.
“He was my best friend, my husband, my rock, my everything,” said Anbari.
“I feel like I’ve been to hell and back.”
Samir is described as a “compassionate, kind, hard-working man,” who would do anything for anyone.
Samir had dreams of becoming a nurse and was hoping to apply to Mohawk College’s nursing program. He had been working for two consecutive weeks at the location on Main Street East to save money to pay for tuition. He also wanted to take his wife to Morocco with him to visit his family next year.
They had plans to have a family of their own together after Samir became a nurse. As far as Anbari knows she’s not pregnant, but a part of her wishes she was.
“I know I don’t need a baby at this point in time, but just to have a living connection to him …”
The building was under renovation to become a Big Bee convenience store and a Subway restaurant. Residents in the area said employees were always in that building working around the clock since Aug. 1 to get the stores up and running.
The night he died, Samir had been working a 21-hour shift. He was scheduled to work 3 p.m. Friday until noon on Saturday. Although he was hired to work for Big Bee as a shop clerk, Anbari performed tasks that were well out of his job description.
“They had him doing contractor’s work and tiling,” said Anbari. “And he was so nice, if they said they needed help he would help.”
Anbari believes the owners should have “stepped up to the plate and been the boss” and told Samir to go home after his shift ended.
Anbari said if her husband had worked a 12-hour shift, he would still be alive. His work hours varied.
Samir attended Ibrahim Jame Mosque in downtown Hamilton and used to teach children about the Koran at a mosque on Stonechurch Road West before he was hired by Big Bee. He also enjoyed going to the gym and helping others.
“He said ‘don’t worry, I’ll be home at noon and we can go to the park, toss a Frisbee or stay home and enjoy each other’s company,’” said Anbari.
That was the plan, but it never happened. Anbari was trapped inside the burning building. Residents say they awoke to multiple explosions. Within minutes the building was in flames and the smell of burning tar and smoke filled the air.
Two cars were parked in front of the doors of the building ensuring that no one would be able to escape. A fact that upsets Anbari and signals to her that the arsonist knew what he was doing.
“From how it looked …. I don’t think this was an amateur job,” said Anbari.
Police are treating it as a homicide investigation. So far, police have charged 30-year-old Sami Karnaz from Mississauga with arson and disregard for human life. The name doesn’t look familiar to Anbari and she doesn’t know if was her husband or the business which was targeted.
“When these people did this they took my whole heart out and just shattered it,” said Anbari.
“I hope that they burn in hell the same way they let my husband burn.”
After her husband called her from the burning building, Anbari rushed to the site, jumped from the car at Sherman Avenue, ran to the scene and was in disbelief at what she saw. Police held her back from crossing the barriers the police had put up.
“That was one of the hardest things,” said Anbari.
Anbari and Samir promised each other that they would never remarry, so that they could still belong to each other and be together when they both died.
“I can’t picture myself with anyone else but him,” said Anbari.
She plans to take Samir’s body back to Morocco. His brother has come from Texas to support her and some uncles and aunts are also coming to see her during the coming week. Having the body identified gives the family some closure, but there is anger.
“It’s not like he was killed in a car accident where it was an accident,” says Anbari. “It was heartless murder.
“I want justice for my husband. This is far from over, and it won’t be until I’m satisfied with the justice that’s been provided.”
