Hundreds mourn Pittsburgh trash collector killed by gunfire

Omar Hodges had no enemies, said close friends and co-workers who attended his funeral Tuesday.

They find it inexplicable that someone fatally shot the Pittsburgh garbage collector in Carrick on Oct. 13 as he sat in his car waiting to begin his shift.

Roughly 350 people attended Hodges' funeral at Covenant Church of Pittsburgh in Wilkinsburg. Mourners remembered Hodges, 29, of Homewood as a generous friend with a constant smile who worked three jobs to take care of his family.

“I could ask him to come to China, and he'd be there in 15 minutes,” said friend Dante Alston, 32, of McKeesport.

Co-workers and city officials joined family members and friends at the service.

Mayor Bill Peduto said he struggled to find appropriate words.

“To Omar's family, to his loved ones, I wish there was something I could do to bring him back, but I can't,” Peduto said as a heavy rain pelted the church roof.

Peduto urged people to work together to end street violence and promised that police will find Hodges' killer.

Authorities are reviewing leads in the case, a Public Safety spokeswoman said.

Hodges' slaying is one of 59 in the city this year, up from 46 in all of 2013, officials said.

Peduto used his remarks at the funeral to criticize federal and state legislators who oppose handgun restrictions in cities, saying they should have to attend the funerals of murder victims.

“If we're going to be able to break this cycle of violence, if we're going to be able to return the type of violence that we're seeing today back to the depths of hell where it belongs, then it's going to require (a team effort),” he said.

The state House passed a bill Monday that, if signed by Gov. Tom Corbett, would allow organizations such as the National Rifle Association to sue a municipality with gun control laws that are stricter than state statutes.

Peduto presented Hodges' mother, Carolyn, with a city flag encased in a memorial frame. Operations Director Guy Costa, Peduto's Chief of Staff Kevin Acklin and Public Works Director Mike Gable were among those who attended the service.

Hodges was sitting in his car about 7 a.m. Oct. 13 on Birmingham Avenue when someone fired a dozen shots at him from inside a Nissan Altima and drove away. Police are unsure whether Hodges was the intended target.

Coworkers said they suspect his shooting is a case of mistaken identity. Though they're not afraid of being targeted, they said the government should enact harsh penalties for harming a city employee.

“We need to be protected while we're out there,” said Emmanuel Bratten, 41, of the North Side, a garbage collector.

Pittsburgh suspended trash collection for the day to allow workers to attend the funeral. Collection will resume Wednesday and run through Saturday.

A city garbage truck with a funeral wreath on the grill drove in a procession led by a city police car to Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville.

“I've never seen him upset,” said William Lesesne Jr., 56, of Hazelwood, a coworker who drove the truck and helped train Hodges. “Great driver. Great operator. Great work ethic.”

Staff writer Melissa Daniels contributed. Bob Bauder is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com.