Police look for vehicle that may be linked to deaths of Muslim men
Albuquerque police announced Sunday they have found a possible lead in the recent slayings of several Muslim men.
Speaking at a press conference, Albuquerque Police Department Deputy Chief Cecily Parker said police have identified a vehicle they think may have been used in the killings — a dark gray or silver, four-door Volkswagen that appears to be a Passat or a Jetta. The car has dark tinted windows. Anyone with information is asked to go to crimestoppersnm.com or call 505-843-STOP.
Earlier Sunday, President Joe Biden joined the government officials who have voiced their frustration and sadness over the slaying. Biden tweeted he was “angered and saddened” by the “horrific” killings.
“While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” Biden tweeted.
“These hateful attacks have no place in America,” he added.
Española Planning Director Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was found shot dead Aug. 1. That same week, Aftab Hussein, 41, was also killed. Both of the men were from Pakistan and attended the same mosque.
Shortly before midnight Friday, another Muslim man in his 20s was found dead between the area of Truman Street and Grand Avenue in Albuquerque.
The identify of the victim had not been confirmed yet.
Police are also investigating whether a fourth murder — that of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, who was shot to death in November outside of a shop he ran with his brother — is tied to the three more recent ones.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday “all levels” of government are working together to help arrest the perpetrator.
“Our highest priority is of course locating and arresting the perpetrator,” he said. “Now we really need the community’s help on this.”
Keller said in a news release the city is taking numerous safety measures, including stepped-up police patrols near mosques and Muslim-affiliated schools and working with police to ensure a safe return to school for K-12 public school and University of New Mexico students. He also said people can call 311 to access support and trauma counseling or to request grocery and hot meal delivery if they don’t feel safe.
None of the killings has been ruled out as a hate crime, but Albuquerque detectives held a news conference Thursday morning in front of the Islamic Center of New Mexico to announce a “strong possibility” that killings may be connected to the Ahmadi murder.
New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich on Saturday tweeted he was “deeply concerned” by the killings and said his office has been in communication with local community leaders to ensure the proper resources are made available to local law enforcement.
“We must use every tool to protect our community from further violence and prevent any other family from enduring such heartbreaking loss,” he tweeted. “Hate-fueled violence has no place in New Mexico. We will not rest until those responsible are brought to justice.”
Keller said there is a $20,000 reward from Crime Stoppers and a $10,000 reward from Council on American-Islamic Relations for information that leads to an arrest.
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury noted one the victims, Hussain, was a member of her campaign team.
“We stand with you [Albuquerque’s Muslims], and we will do everything in our power to prioritize your safety and ensure that the killer and killers responsible for this horrific and despicable acts are not only brought to justice, but also, as the governor said, held to full account under the law,” Stansbury said.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement Saturday she plans to deploy additional state police resources to probe what she called “targeted killings.” At Sunday’s press conference, she said she was “incredibly angry about this situation.”
“Every New Mexican should stand up against this kind of hatred,” she said. “It has no place in this city, and it has no place in our state.”