DETROIT – A man suspected of killing a popular hairstylist inside a motel in Detroit is expected to be arraigned Friday, officials said.

Police arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the murder of Bashar Kallabat, who was found dead Tuesday at the JZ Motel and Suites on Eight Mile Road near Gratiot Avenue on Detroit’s east side.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned around 2 p.m. Friday. You can watch live in the stream above.

Kallabat, 56, of Bloomfield Township, was a beloved hairdresser in Metro Detroit. Detroit police Chief James Craig said Kallabat was nationally known for his work.

Bashar Kallabat
Bashar Kallabat (WDIV)

Police said Kallabat checked into the motel around 6 p.m. Tuesday. Another man used a ride-share company to get to the motel, police said. That man’s ride was paid for by Kallabat, according to authorities.

“We believe that the victim and suspect didn’t know each other," Craig said.

The 24-year-old man stayed at the motel for several hours after being dropped off. The manager of the motel said he got a call from an employee that something was wrong.

Members of the motel staff found Kallabat’s body, Craig said.

Police believe the two men met on a dating app.

The motel is a Project Green Light partner, and cameras captured video of a man leaving Kallabat’s room around 9 p.m. Tuesday, according to officials. The man was wearing a very distinctive security guard jacket, and police were able to track and locate him within 12 hours of Kallabat’s death, police said.

Detroit police said they took the 24-year-old man into custody around 9:40 a.m. Wednesday. He is on probation for unarmed robbery dating back to 2017, Craig said.

The ATF assisted in the arrest.

Bashar Kallabat
Bashar Kallabat (WDIV)

“We want all to know he was so loved, impacted so many lives and was such a successful stylist and creative soul," his ex-wife, Kennice Kallabat, said in a statement. "We just can’t believe he is gone.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detroit police at 313-596-2460 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP to remain anonymous.

Craig said there are dangers associated with ride-share companies. He said police have no way to track suspects through their rides if the payment comes from someone else. He warned residents not to pay for a stranger’s ride share and advised meeting in a public place and telling someone the location beforehand.

You can watch Craig’s full news conference below.

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