The Albuquerque Police Department released body camera video of officers arresting the man who is being charged with the murder of two Muslims and suspected of killing two other Muslims. Albuquerque Community Connect Camera Registry and Integration. This year began with more homicides than in 2020 and 2019. A funeral service was held for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday. Stephanie Pagones is a Digital Reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. In the past, she says, it was easy to point the finger at political scapegoats or at gang violence. "The United States motion boils down to an effort to detain defendant for a crime with which he has not even been charged," Anderson argued, referring to the slayings of the Muslim men. Family members told judge that Bennie was missed and that it hurt even more that another child was the one who committed the crime. Anderson also included a photo of a Florida drivers license issued to Shaheen Syed in 2021, contradicting prosecutors' claims that he misrepresented himself as a Florida resident while making a purchase at an Albuquerque gun store. That includes Chicago, which marked one of its most violent years on record. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ALBUQUERQUE MURDER SUSPECT SAID HE WAS GOING TO TEXAS TO FIND NEW HOME, REFERENCED 'SHOOTING OF MUSLIMS': COPS. (Albuquerque Police Department via AP, File). 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Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The most recent murder took place on Aftab Hussein, 41, was shot and killed on July 26 after parking his car near his home. As a result, violent crime including Albuquerques homicides are the result of what Huffmyer calls a mishmash of complex factors. KRQE News 13 reported that 2022 federal fentanyl busts around Albuquerque have been among the largest ever. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. An Afghan refugee who was already facing two murder charges for the recent slayings of two Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was indicted on a third count Friday for allegedly killing another man who had just attended funeral services for the other two victims on Aug. 5. Albuquerque has had more than one homicide over beer pong, she says to illustrate her point. Hartsock attributed a higher solve rate to good detective work and communication among APD. Hartsock also pointed out that APD has been working on increasing staffing and getting better technology along with focusing on detective training. The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office is investigating another 11 homicides in the areas surrounding the city. APD sends NIBRS data to the FBI on a semiannual basis and this data is based on the reports available at that point in time. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING VEHICLE OF INTEREST IN MURDERS OF FOUR MUSLIM MEN. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The data in citywide crime statistics report is based on the official data that APD sends to the FBI. Additionally, APD has added new detectives to the homicide unit. Prosecutors also presented prior police reports of Shaheen Syed allegedly beating his father and sister and an unrelated incident in which he and his brother were allegedly involved in a shooting outside a Walmart. But, its worth remembering that homicide detectives generally start their work after the crime is already done. The Albuquerque Police Department will be increasing its "police presence near mosques and Muslim affiliate schools," Keller wrote on Twitter. Central Avenue, for example, is just infamous for being sort of the seedier part of Albuquerque. And sure enough, in recent years homicides have clustered near Central especially between EXPO New Mexico and Eubank. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. All but three of the 2021 killings are being investigated by Albuquerque police, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The sooner people recognize that there is not one circumstance that is causing this, the better, Huffmyer says. All rights reserved. But Albuquerques increase is above average according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Albuquerque Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Cecily Barker holds a flyer with photos of a car wanted in connection with Muslim men murdered as Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham looks on in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Fox News's Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report. But this year also brought homicides at hotels near Los Altos neighborhood near Lomas and Wyoming, a few on the West Side, and a couple of homicides near the Heights. As of April 18, 2021, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) recorded 35 homicides across the city. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Syeds attorney argued that prosecutors gave no indication of the size of the area that his phone was in relative to the shooting. A motive has not been offered by prosecutors, but police said an "interpersonal conflict" may have led to the shootings. Shaheen Syed, 21, pictured in a 2021 Florida drivers license photo included in court documents. Legal Statement. In fact, the Albuquerque Police Department counted 10 more homicides than in 2021, the previous record-setting year. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE, FBI INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN FOUR MURDERED MUSLIM MEN. Albuquerque police say the first homicide happened on Nov. 7, 2021. In the first three quarters of 2021, Albuquerque had 111 violent crimes per 10,000 people, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Detectives on Thursday determined there is a connection between the Aug. 1, 2022, murder of Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, and the July 26, 2022, murder of Aftab (U.S. District Court), A reporter asked at a press conference earlier this month if Syed, a Sunni Muslim, could have been driven by anger that his daughter married a Shiite Muslim. Yes, we have gangs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, An attorney for Syed did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Legal Statement. Homicide List as of 17 May 2021. Police are probing whether he was also involved in the murder. That count exceeds the 2021 record of 110 homicides counted by APD. And the triple-digit count sets a never-before-seen record. Four men all from South Asia and all of whom practice the Muslim faith have been ambushed, shot and killed since November 2021, police have said. While 2022 brought more homicides, APD also says theyve solved more cases in 2022 than in 2021. The motivation for that crime boils down to stolen marijuana and money. 3 Mar. The four menall Muslimand from South Asia were ambushed, shot, and killed in Albuquerque since November 2021. Both were also Muslim and from Pakistan. It looks like nobody cares, Thomson says. This file photo released Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, by the Albuquerque Police Department shows Muhammad Syed. The 311 Community Contact Center is a centralized call center for the City of Albuquerque. A funeral service was held for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday. This change is important because NIBRS provides more comprehensive and detailed information about crimes against person, crimes against property and crimes against society occurring in law enforcement jurisdictions across the country. Why is violent crime going up in Albuquerque? So ultimately, there are no easy answers to explain why New Mexico is such a violent place. but officials have called him the "most likely" suspect in the murders of Naeem Hussain and 62-year-old Muhammad Zahir. So one could argue that that was a drug-related crime, Thomson says. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Altaf Hussain cries over the grave of his brother Aftab Hussein at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.(KRQE) There were more than 100 homicides in Albuquerque this year. We tripled the number of homicide detectives, and we invested $80 million in crime-fighting technology, he said. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING VEHICLE OF INTEREST IN MURDERS OF FOUR MUSLIM MEN. Altaf Hussain cries over the grave of his brother Aftab Hussein at Fairview Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. The average police department saw a 7% rise in homicides, the data shows. That put Albuquerque in the top 10 most violent The lie that people are told is that drug crimes are nonviolent, Huffmyer says. Its not just in spite of our challenges, but because of them, he said after being sworn in Saturday. Albuquerques geographic location, with a north-south-running freeway and ease of access to the border makes this a thoroughfare and hub for a variety of interstate criminal activity, he says. FILE - This Aug. 9, 2020, still image taken from officer video provided by the Albuquerque Police Department shows the arrest of Muhammad Syed. (Credit: Albuquerque Police Department). A ShotSpotter activation showed 13 gunshots were fired, following by additional rounds, in the area of 417 Rhode Island Street, police documents show. The FBI is assisting in the murder investigations. ALBUQUERQUE MURDER SUSPECT TRIES TO SPEAK IN COURT; FAMILY REPORTEDLY SAYS HE WAS HOME AT TIME OF SLAYINGS. Prosecutors claim that Shaheen Syed spoke with his father when his phone was somewhere in the general area of the Islamic Center of New Mexico and soon after his fathers phone pinged in an area that included Lutheran Family Services. And before then, 41-year-old Aftab Hussein was fatally wounded on July 26, 2022. Albuquerque Police Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock said at the time that "the motives are still being explored fully to understand what they are.". The most recent survey data from 66 police departments across the US show that the majority of those departments have reported an increase in the number of homicides from January to October 2021 compared to the same time frame in 2020. Legal Statement. ' she says. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In the first three quarters of 2021, Albuquerque had 111 violent crimes per 10,000 people, according to FBI data. Syed, the main suspect in the slaying of four Muslim men in Albuquerque has committed regular acts of violence in the six years since he fled war-ravaged Afghanistan and resettled in the United States, according to police documents and court records. Drug-related homicides are definitely up this year quite a bit, says Gilbert Gallegos. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Whats driving New Mexicos Fentanyl Crisis? Liz Thomson points out that there does appear to be similar connections among Albuquerques homicides. However, with a record homicide rate in 2021 (88 according to the City of Albuquerque, as of October 1), the four year-average under Mayor Tim Keller is on track to surpass the previous administrations homicide rate by 65%. After Hussain was fatally shot, Shaheen Syeds phone moved to an area closer to the crime scene, according to the motion. We are falling in line with a lot of the other major, big cities, he said. That put Albuquerque in the top 10 most violent cities with populations over 100,000 people. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! For years, Albuquerque has had a problem with unsightly property, as reported by KRQE special assignment reporter Gabrielle Burkhart in 2017. And in Albuquerque, it has always been a huge obstacle.. Market data provided by Factset. All rights reserved. Shaheen Syed, left, possibly helped his father, Muhammad Syed, right, surveillance one of his alleged victims. , VIDEO: Giant I-40 light poles sway in strong ABQ, Taxidermy birds used to make drones at New Mexico, PHOTOS: Storm leaves parts of state covered in snow, PHOTOS: Winter storm moves through NM leaving snow, PHOTOS: Storm causes snowy, icy roads across New, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But Gallegos says that while public distrust of APD certainly exists, it isnt a big hinderance to APDs ability to investigate violent crime. In fact, the Albuquerque Police Department counted 10 more homicides than in 2021, the previous record-setting year. Shaheen Syed, 21, appeared in U.S. district court in Albuquerque on Monday, with the judge granting a motion by federal prosecutors to keep him behind bars pending the ongoing investigation into the deaths of four Muslim victims dating back to November 2021. At the time, the city was on pace to shatter its homicide record and top officials described the violence as a scourge. Ten minutes after the shooting, the motion states the men shared a second call as their phones remained in the "general area of the murder.". SON OF AFGHAN ALLEGED GUNMAN IN NEW MEXICO KILLINGS OF MUSLIM MEN POSSIBLY ASSISTED MURDER PLOT: FEDS, Shaheen Syed, left, possibly helped his father, Muhammad Syed, right, surveillance one of his alleged victims. Homicide data from APD; map data from UNM RGIS/US Census, Its just a part of Albuquerque that looks like theres no oversight there. Albuquerque homicides now account for more than half of New Mexicos entire yearly homicide count. Market data provided by Factset. Huffmyer also suggests that the dark cloud of administrative pressure and the eminent threat of public persecution can decrease law enforcement effectiveness. There, officers discovered Aftab Hussein "lying next to a silver Hyundai sedan at" nearby, with multiple apparent gunshot wounds. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A 14-year-old New Mexico boy accused of shooting and killing a classmate in 2021 has pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree murder, prosecutors said Thursday. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Interactive Slider: Over the last few years, homicides (orange markers) have been focused around downtown Albuquerque and Central Ave. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Just days after the most recent murder of a Muslim man rocked a community already on edge, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said the City is extending its police efforts beyond the investigation into the slayings and person or people behind them. (Robert Browman/The Albuquerque Journal via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. or redistributed. Given the recent increase in homicides, APD has been increasing both presence and engagement in certain areas, recently focusing on a Montgomery neighborhood with bouts of violence. Both men were killed And he points to the drug trade as a source of violence across New Mexico. Shots were fired at his SUV around 4 p.m., striking him in the head and the arm. The average has risen in the past few years, according to federal crime data. An Imam leads a group of men during the Dhuhr afternoon prayer at the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, after the fourth Muslim man was murdered in the city. Some worked to bring attention to gun violence through a national memorial effort in the fall. Albuquerque police have detained and charged a man they say is the primary suspect in the killings of four Muslim men, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina tweeted Tuesday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The first incident was reported on Nov. 7, 2021, when 62-year-old Mohammad Ahmadi was discovered shot and killed in the rear parking lot of a halal caf he owned with his brother on San Mateo Boulevard, according to city officials and local affiliate KRQE-TV. Court documents state that two guns purchased by Syed and his father at an Albuquerque gun store in July had been partially painted white.