On Tuesday, a 51-year-old man from Afghanistan was charged with killing two Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Authorities said the man was suspected of involvement in his two other murders. community nationwide.
Authorities announced that Muhammad Syed was arrested the day after he was taken into custody.
Police Chief Harold Medina announced on Twitter that officials have located a vehicle believed to be involved in one of the murders in Mexico's largest city.
"The driver has been detained. He is the prime suspect in the murder," the tweet said.
Police said investigators received information from the city's Muslim community pointing to Said's arrival in the United States in recent years.
He was pulled over and detained on Interstate 40 in Santa Rosa, approximately 110 miles east of Albuquerque.
The killing drew the attention of President Joe Biden, who said such attacks "have no place in America."
When told about the announcement, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussein, brother of one of the victims, Muhammad Afzal Hussein, said: , said he was relieved but needed to know more about the suspects and motives.
The truth comes out," he said. "We need to know why."
Naeem Hussain was killed Friday night, while his three other men died in an ambush.
Hussein, 25, was from Pakistan. His death came days after Muhammad Afzar Hussein, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and were members of the same mosque.
The earliest incident was the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.
Authorities on Monday called for help in searching for a vehicle believed to be the one found on Tuesday.
A common factor in the deaths was the victim's race and religion, officials said, and police were trying to determine if the deaths were related.
New York Muslim community leader Debbie Almontasser said a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears a hijab told her how rickety she was over the weekend. "She's like, 'This is so scary. I'm so scared. I'm traveling alone,'" Almontaser said.
Anila Abad, general secretary of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, described a community shaken by the killing, whose grief was exacerbated by the turmoil and terror that followed.
"We are completely shocked and trying to understand what, how and why happened," she said.
Some people refrained from going out unless it was "extremely necessary", and some Muslim university students questioned whether it was safe to stay in the city, she said. Security has also been strengthened at the center.
Police initially said they suspected the same vehicle had been used in all four murders. His four-door Volkswagen in dark gray or silver, with windows that looked like a dark Jetta or Passat. But the police chief's tweet only mentioned the vehicle's connection to her one murder.
Authorities released the photos in hopes of helping people identify the vehicle, and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest.
Investigators did not say where the images were taken or why they suspected the car was involved in the killing. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency had received information about the vehicle but did not provide further details.
Gallegos said he could not comment on the types of guns used in the shootings or whether police knew how many suspects were involved.
Anti-Muslims recorded in Albuquerque in the last five years, according to her FBI data cited by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and US professor of criminal justice. Hate crimes are rare. California State University San Bernardino.
From 2017 to 2020, he had one anti-Muslim hate crime per year. The most recent high was in 2016, when Albuquerque police recorded 6 of a total of 25 hate crimes.
This marks his lowest figure in this decade in 2020, and in 2021 he will see a 45% increase in 12 cities and states with a national trend. Almost in agreement, Levin said.
Albuquerque officials say they cannot determine whether a killing is a hate crime until they identify a suspect and motive. It was not clear whether
A recent victim was found dead after police received a gunshot call. Authorities have refused to disclose whether the killings were carried out in a manner similar to other deaths.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain worked as his organizer on the field of the local councilor's campaign. rice field.
Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury issued a statement praising him as "one of the kindest and hardest working people he's ever had." She said city planners are "dedicated to making sure our public spaces work for everyone and cleaning up legacy pollution."
North of Albuquerque 137 As director of land use in the city of Espanola, which spans more than 85 miles (85 miles), Hussein has worked to improve conditions and inclusiveness for disadvantaged minorities, the mayor's office said.