Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina says they've found the vehicle and arrested its prime suspect in recent Muslim killings.Police and FBI agents have arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Syed. Police consider Syed to be the primary suspect in the recent killings. Police say as they prepared to search Syed's home, Syed drove from the home in the Volkswagen Jetta they were searching for. Once police detained Syed, they searched his home and his vehicle finding evidence that tied Syed to the recent murders. Detectives found evidence that shows Syed knew the victims and that a conflict may have lead to the shootings. Syed is being charged in the July 26, 2022 murder of Aftab Hussein and the Aug. 1, 2022 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain. Police say they found bullet casings at both scenes that connected the two shootings. The gun that was used in both shootings was found during the search of Syed's home. Police will work with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office on possible charges in the August 5, 2022 murder of Naeem Hussain and the Nov. 7 2021 murder of Mohammad Zaher Ahmadi. What we know about each case Police believe three recent murders and a murder that happened on Nov. 7, 2021, could be potentially connected.Albuquerque police say the first homicide happened on Nov. 7, 2021. In that incident, Mohammad Ahmadi was killed outside of a business he and his brother ran at 1401 San Mateo Blvd. Ahmadi was from Afghanistan. Police are working to determine if this murder is connected to three other murders that happened in the city.Albuquerque police say the second homicide happened on July 26 in southeast Albuquerque. Police identified the victim as 41-year-old Aftab Hussein. Hussein was from Pakistan.The third homicide happened on Aug. 1. Police say Muhammed Afzaal Hussain was killed in southeast Albuquerque.RELATED: Albuquerque homicides on pace with last year's recordThe fourth homicide happened on Aug. 5. Police say they responded to reports of a shooting on Truman Street and Grand Avenue in northeast Albuquerque. When police arrived, they found Naeem Hussain dead at the scene. Police say the victim was Muslim and was a native of South Asia.Police are still not calling this a hate crime, nor are they calling the suspect a serial killer.If you have any information on the incident, call Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.The Albuquerque Police Department has also created a portal for the public to submit any video or photo evidence related to the case. Click here to access the portal. Who are the victims? Police have named three of the four victims who were killed.Mohammad Ahmadi was killed on Nov. 7, 2021.Aftab Hussein was killed on July 26, 2022.Muhammed Afzaal Hussain was killed on Aug. 1.Naeem Hussain was fourth person killed on Aug 5.Muhammed Hussain was the Planning and Land Use Director for the city of Española.Who is the suspect?Albuquerque Police have arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Atif Syed and charged him with 2 of the 4 recent killings of members of Albuquerque's Muslim community.Target 7 dug into Muhammad Atif Syed's history and found he has been booked into jail four different times. Each case Syed was charged in was ultimately dismissed.Syed's first arrest came in December of 2017 when police say he attacked his daughter's fiancé. His next charge came six months later when court records show he was arrested for domestic violence. In that case, police say he grabbed his wife by her hair and threw her to the ground. Seven months after that, Syed's son called 9-1-1 to report his father was hitting him and his mother with a metal spoon. The son told police Syed occasionally hit him and his mother.In February of 2020, court records show Syed was arrested after officers saw him run a red light. Syed wouldn't immediately pull over.Court records show all three cases were dismissed.The domestic violence cases were dismissed after Syed agreed to meet certain conditions. The other domestic violence case was thrown out because the victims would not testify. The officer didn't show up for court in the February 2020 case.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina says they've found the vehicle and arrested its prime suspect in recent Muslim killings.
Police and FBI agents have arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Syed. Police consider Syed to be the primary suspect in the recent killings.
Police say as they prepared to search Syed's home, Syed drove from the home in the Volkswagen Jetta they were searching for. Once police detained Syed, they searched his home and his vehicle finding evidence that tied Syed to the recent murders.
Detectives found evidence that shows Syed knew the victims and that a conflict may have lead to the shootings.
Syed is being charged in the July 26, 2022 murder of Aftab Hussein and the Aug. 1, 2022 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain.
Police say they found bullet casings at both scenes that connected the two shootings. The gun that was used in both shootings was found during the search of Syed's home.
Police will work with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office on possible charges in the August 5, 2022 murder of Naeem Hussain and the Nov. 7 2021 murder of Mohammad Zaher Ahmadi.
What we know about each case
Police believe three recent murders and a murder that happened on Nov. 7, 2021, could be potentially connected.
Albuquerque police say the first homicide happened on Nov. 7, 2021. In that incident, Mohammad Ahmadi was killed outside of a business he and his brother ran at 1401 San Mateo Blvd. Ahmadi was from Afghanistan. Police are working to determine if this murder is connected to three other murders that happened in the city.
Albuquerque police say the second homicide happened on July 26 in southeast Albuquerque. Police identified the victim as 41-year-old Aftab Hussein. Hussein was from Pakistan.
The third homicide happened on Aug. 1. Police say Muhammed Afzaal Hussain was killed in southeast Albuquerque.
RELATED: Albuquerque homicides on pace with last year's record
The fourth homicide happened on Aug. 5. Police say they responded to reports of a shooting on Truman Street and Grand Avenue in northeast Albuquerque. When police arrived, they found Naeem Hussain dead at the scene. Police say the victim was Muslim and was a native of South Asia.
Police are still not calling this a hate crime, nor are they calling the suspect a serial killer.
If you have any information on the incident, call Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The Albuquerque Police Department has also created a portal for the public to submit any video or photo evidence related to the case. Click here to access the portal.
Who are the victims?
Police have named three of the four victims who were killed.
- Mohammad Ahmadi was killed on Nov. 7, 2021.
- Aftab Hussein was killed on July 26, 2022.
- Muhammed Afzaal Hussain was killed on Aug. 1.
- Naeem Hussain was fourth person killed on Aug 5.
Muhammed Hussain was the Planning and Land Use Director for the city of Española.
Who is the suspect?
Albuquerque Police have arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Atif Syed and charged him with 2 of the 4 recent killings of members of Albuquerque's Muslim community.
Albuquerque Police Department via AP
This photo released Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, by the Albuquerque Police Department shows Muhammad Syed. Syed, 51, was taken into custody Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in connection with the killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, over the last nine months. He faces charges in two of the deaths and may be charged in the others. (Albuquerque Police Department via AP)
Target 7 dug into Muhammad Atif Syed's history and found he has been booked into jail four different times. Each case Syed was charged in was ultimately dismissed.
Syed's first arrest came in December of 2017 when police say he attacked his daughter's fiancé. His next charge came six months later when court records show he was arrested for domestic violence. In that case, police say he grabbed his wife by her hair and threw her to the ground.
Seven months after that, Syed's son called 9-1-1 to report his father was hitting him and his mother with a metal spoon. The son told police Syed occasionally hit him and his mother.
In February of 2020, court records show Syed was arrested after officers saw him run a red light. Syed wouldn't immediately pull over.
Court records show all three cases were dismissed.
The domestic violence cases were dismissed after Syed agreed to meet certain conditions. The other domestic violence case was thrown out because the victims would not testify. The officer didn't show up for court in the February 2020 case.