ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque police say they have arrested and charged 51-year-old Muhammad Syed in connection to the killings of two Muslim men. Police say Sayed is the "primary suspect" in the killings.
Police searched Sayed's home in Albuquerque on Monday saying that he left the home in a Volkswagen Jetta which investigators believe was used in at least one of the murders, CNN reported.
Police say they found evidence in the home that makes them believe that Syed knew the victims "to some extent."
Syed was arrested in connection with two of the homicides for the death of Aftab Hussein on July 26 and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain on Aug. 1.
Police said they were still working with the district attorney on charges for the two other homicides: The Aug. 5 killing of Naeem Hussain and the Nov. 7, 2021 killing of Mohammad Zaher Ahmadi, CNN reported.
Earlier, authorities in New Mexico revealed that they had detained a suspect believed to be connected to the killings of four Muslim men.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said the suspect could be located after they tracked down a vehicle they were searching for in connection to the suspected murderer.
The name and location where the suspect was found were not immediately released. The killings have shocked the Muslim community in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Police said the victim in the latest killing was a Muslim from South Asia who was believed to be in his mid-20s.
Naeem Hussain was found dead on Friday after police received a call reporting a shooting.
Two men — Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41 — were killed in the past week, and both were from Pakistan, and both were members of the same mosque. The third case involves the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, a Muslim man of South Asian descent.
Police declined to say whether Friday night's homicide was carried out in a way similar to the other deaths.
Authorities said they can’t reveal yet if the shootings were considered hate crimes or if they will be.
This story contains additional reporting from the Associated Press.
