INDIANAPOLIS -- A teen was charged with murder in the death of a locksmith from the Ukraine who lived in Indianapolis and had dreamed of a better life in America.

Police said Keith Chandler, 18, robbed and shot Levgen Masliak, 22, in the 600 block of West 31st Street early Wednesday morning.

Indianapolis Metro police said Chandler told Masliak that he had been locked out of his vehicle before the shooting.

A resident who lives nearby found Masliak's body lying in the street.

"Wouldn't you be upset, too if you found something like that in front of your house?" the man who didn't wish to be identified told 6News' Jack Rinehart. "That's just human nature."

Masliak was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The day before, he (Masliak) had actually come into my office and was telling me about his mom and dad -- how he missed them," said Sonia Barona, Masliak's friend. "He was thinking about going back."

Chandler lives about a mile from the crime scene, a neighborhood where the prevalence of guns and drugs make for a policing hotspot for IMPD's North District.

"You've got an 18-year-old kid … who was involved in this crime and perpetrated this horrendous act," said IMPD Sgt. Matt Mount. "I don't know what it was he was thinking and why he thought he would be able to get any kind of large amount of money out of a locksmith."

Police said Masliak was in the U.S. on a work visa. His loss will be felt on two continents.

"Really super nice guy -- good values, respectful. He was good with my kids, too," Barona said. "He worked hard. For that to happen is tragic."

Masliak was a kickboxer and was described as very strong by people who knew him. Friends speculated that he didn't die without a fight.