Police said the suspect stole the victim’s car after shooting him at a Woodward Avenue gas station.
DETROIT, MI — A 37-year-old Wyandotte man remained in critical condition after being shot in the face during a carjacking at a Detroit gas station earlier this month, police and his family said.
Orgelis Cedeno was attacked at a Citgo gas station on Woodward Avenue while his wife, Deryl Gabriella Hernandez, was on FaceTime with him. Detroit police said the case remains under active investigation and that the suspect had not been arrested as of the latest public update. The shooting has left Cedeno hospitalized after multiple surgeries, with his family describing a long recovery ahead.
Cedeno had stopped at the gas station after telling Hernandez he needed to get fuel, his family said. Through an interpreter, Hernandez said her husband called her around 7:30 and said he was going to stop before continuing with his day. She said he had been dropping off a package and was walking back to his vehicle when an armed man approached him. Hernandez said the man demanded Cedeno’s keys. “He handed the keys over, and that’s when he also shot him,” Hernandez said through the interpreter. She said she heard the gunfire over the phone and then saw her husband fall to the ground.
The gunman shot Cedeno in the mouth area before stealing his vehicle, Hernandez said. Police have not publicly released the suspect’s name, a detailed description or information about whether the stolen vehicle has been recovered. Detroit police said investigators are working with state partners as they search for the suspect. The exact date of the carjacking was not included in the latest public report, but Cedeno’s family said it happened earlier this month. No charges had been announced in the case as of the latest update.
Cedeno’s injuries have required three surgeries, his family said. Hernandez said he cannot eat or drink and has many stitches inside his mouth. She said doctors have told the family he will have to relearn how to speak because of the damage caused by the shooting. “It’s going to be a very, very long recovery,” Hernandez said through the interpreter. Family members said Cedeno is a father to a 3-year-old girl and the main provider for his household. A fundraiser organized for the family said the shooting has left relatives facing medical bills, legal costs and lost income while Cedeno remains unable to work.
The attack happened at a gas station along Woodward Avenue, one of Detroit’s best-known roads and a major route through the city and northern suburbs. Gas stations can become targets in violent auto theft cases because drivers often leave vehicles exposed while paying, fueling or walking back from a store. In this case, Hernandez said Cedeno had already given up his keys when the gunman fired. The motive for the shooting beyond the vehicle theft has not been made public. Police have not said whether they believe Cedeno was targeted or chosen at random.
Hernandez said the FaceTime call left her with a direct view of the aftermath. She said she initially feared her husband would die because of how badly he appeared to be hurt. “He looked terrible,” she said through the interpreter. The family has stayed close to Cedeno at the hospital while waiting for updates from doctors and investigators. Hernandez said she is holding on to hope and has told him he is a wonderful father and partner. She said she will not leave the hospital until she can take him out walking again.
Detroit police said the investigation remains open, with state partners helping search for the suspect. Cedeno remained hospitalized in critical condition in the latest update, and no next court date or charging decision had been announced.
Author note: Last updated April 25, 2026.