Two teenage murder suspects give up to police
Two of three 17-year-old girls wanted for the second-degree murder of a man who died after stumbling into a Stoney Creek gas station covered in blood have turned themselves in to police.
Det. Sgt. Dave Oleniuk confirmed one of the girls turned herself in Wednesday night and the other late Thursday morning. All three girls, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were allegedly involved in the sex trade.
They are accused of fatally stabbing Hayder Qasim-Rushdi, 33, from Mississauga before fleeing in a cab early this past Friday.
The victim’s family does not want to speak publicly, Oleniuk said.
Police believe Qasim-Rushdi met the teenaged sex workers through an online escort listing on backpage.ca.
It’s unclear if this was their first encounter.
Detectives believe Qasim-Rushdi drove with the girls from Mississauga, where he lives, to Hamilton. They stopped first at an east Mountain address and then continued to Stoney Creek, where the attack occurred in the car, which had pulled over in a rural, secluded area.
After being stabbed in the neck, a blood-soaked Qasim-Rushdi drove to the Pioneer gas station on Upper Centennial Parkway about 2:30 a.m. where people inside called 911.
He died from his injuries Sunday afternoon.
Police have a knife that’s believed to be the murder weapon and have searched the east Mountain home.
Oleniuk said Qasim-Rushdi was stabbed “in and around the car” at the rural property about five minutes from the gas station where he had pulled over.
Detectives have “theories” about what may have led to the attack, but would not comment on them publicly.
Anyone with information regarding the homicide is asked to call Det. Ross Johnson at 905-5463827 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.