Man charged with murder after stylist's death at Detroit motel

(FOX 2) - A 24-year-old man has been charged in connection with the death of a popular hair stylist at a Detroit motel earlier this week. 

Jimmy Pickett has been charged with first-degree felony murder in the death of 56-year-old Bashar Kallabat of Bloomfield Hills. 

Authorities say Pickett visited Kallabat's hotel room Tuesday night at the JZ Motel on 8 Mile near Gratiot Avenue. Hotel staff later found Kallabat's body in the room. 

Prosecutors say Kallabat died from blunt force trauma. 

Pickett was arrested about 12 hours after he left Kallabat's hotel room. He was picked up on surveillance video at a nearby Project Green Light business. 

Detroit police chief James Craig said that video was invaluable to the investigation because Kallabat had ordered the suspect a Lyft to and from his hotel room, so authorities didn't have a name of who had been visiting the room. 

Craig said investigators believe the two met on a dating app.

Kallabat had reserved a room at the motel for several hours that evening, and when he didn't check out the staff discovered the body. 

"The door was left open and the lights were on. While he opened the door there was a body on the floor and there was blood," Devan said, who's the manager of the motel. Devan says Kallabat was still breathing and the clerk called 911, but Kallabat died shortly after.

Sources say Bashar had severe injuries to his face and head and there was blood all over the room, along with scattered hair products. 

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Authorities haven't given much information yet on what may have happened inside the room, except to say that they believe Pickett went to the room, killed Kallabat and took his personal property. 

Pickett is expected to be arraigned Friday afternoon.