Law enforcement officials arrested the primary suspect Monday wanted in connection with the recent slayings of two Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Personnel from the Albuquerque Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detained 51-year-old Muhammad Syed after he attempted to flee a residence in a Volkswagen Jetta, believed to be used in at least one murder, Albuquerque police tweeted.
A subsequent search of Syed’s vehicle and home revealed a gun used in the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein and the Aug. 1 killing of Muhammed Afzal Hussain, the release stated. Police linked the murders together from the bullet casings left at the crime scene. (RELATED: 3 Ohio Men Allegedly Beat Teenager To Death, Steal His Car Outside Of High School Founded By LeBron James)
APD detectives and FBI agents arrested Muhammad Syed, 51, who they consider to be the primary suspect in the recent murders of Muslim men in Albuquerque. pic.twitter.com/yD4I0L5JtP
— APD Public Information Officer (@APD_PIO) August 9, 2022
Evidence collected during the raid suggests Syed was having an “interpersonal conflict” with the victims, police stated in the Twitter release. Police did directly answer questions linking the murders to Syed’s possible frustrations about his daughter marrying a Shiite Muslim, whereas he was a Sunni Muslim, according to The New York Times.
Syed, a five-year resident of the U.S., has also been named as the primary suspect in the Aug. 5 killing of Naeem Hussain and the November 2021 killing of Mohammad Zaher Ahmadi, the Times reported.
Ahmad Assed, president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, confirmed that a wedding had taken place, but warned against jumping to conclusions according to The Associated Press. Assed did also confirm Syed would “occasionally” attend the mosque, the outlet reported.
Syed allegedly denied to detectives that he had any part in the murders, also stating that he fought against the Taliban in Afghanistan while serving the special forces, the Associated Press reported. He is set scheduled for a court hearing Wednesday afternoon, according to the outlet.