Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In their motion, prosecutors pointed to cellphone records that they say show Syed possibly helped his father track Naeem Hussain, a 25-year-old man from Pakistan who was fatally shot on Aug. 5 in the parking lot of a refugee resettlement agency in southeast Albuquerque. 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). Over the last few years, an influx of police-related scandals and Department of Justice scrutiny has led to the shutdown of APD programs and the shrinkage of APDs staff, Gallegos says. (Credit: Albuquerque Police Department). Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones. A funeral service was held for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday. His father, 51-year-old Muhammad Syed, has so far been charged with murder for two of the slayings the deaths of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and Aftab Hussein. Medina, the Albuquerque police chief, said he believes the pandemic also is to blame for nationwide spikes in homicides, suicides, drug overdoses and traffic crashes. 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. spoke about why on KRQE News 13s podcast, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Case dismissed for teen accused of taking gun to, Roswell man arrested in shooting of NMSP officers, Rust asst. Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder Thursday in the In 2018, the Albuquerque Police Department began reporting crime statistics using the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). While the killings were initially believed to be the work of a serial killer, the involvement of a sex Across the country, many police departments are reporting an increase in homicides. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. That count exceeds the 2021 record of 110 homicides counted by APD. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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 Data from CABQ/APD. The shooting happened during the lunch hour at the school in front of numerous students who had returned for the fall semester just two days earlier. His attorney had raised issues of the boys competency early on, saying the teen needed counseling and treatment for mental health issues. ABQ driver pleads guilty after 2021 road rage incident 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. (Robert Browman/The Albuquerque Journal via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Whats driving New Mexicos Fentanyl Crisis? The Albuquerque Police Department reports 64-year-old Karl Jurisson was found in the street with two gunshot wounds near Girard and Garfield on Sunday. The most effective thing about policing is engagement with the community going to neighborhood meetings, interacting with kids, Thomson says. In December of last year, Kyle Hartsock, the deputy commander overseeing the departments Criminal Investigations Division spoke about why on KRQE News 13s podcast. 2023 The City of Albuquerque. WebThe West Mesa Murders are the killings of eleven women whose remains were found buried in 2009 in the desert on the West Mesa of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States.Several suspects have been named, but none were arrested or charged. And yes, they can be violent, she explains, yet during her time as sergeant, not one single year was gang-related homicide ever a major [crime] category, she says. At the end of December 2022, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) published a list of 120 homicides that had occurred throughout the year. But there seems to be more to the violence than just illegal drugs. Albuquerque recorded 76 murders in 2020, four fewer than in 2019. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE, FBI INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN FOUR MURDERED MUSLIM MEN. 3 Mar. He said in an email to The Associated Press that Albuquerque is in a better position now than most cities because of continued investments in public safety and new violence intervention programs. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Albuquerque New Mexico Teen Pleads No Contest in Fatal School Shooting 3 Mar. Hartsock also notes that the department instituted regular check-ins on open murder cases to help come up with new ideas into investigations. Yes, we have gangs. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to, 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado,, Mikal Bridges helps Nets rally to stun Celtics, 115-105, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard, U.S. jury poised to weigh international soccers. In the first three quarters of 2021, Albuquerque had 111 violent crimes per 10,000 people, according to FBI data. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to, 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado,, Mikal Bridges helps Nets rally to stun Celtics, 115-105, NASCAR star Elliott has leg surgery after snowboard, U.S. jury poised to weigh international soccers, Candlelight vigil to bring attention to homicide, APD begins new initiative to tackle violent crime, New Albuquerque coffee shop suffers from back-to-back, Albuquerque has had a problem with unsightly property, recently focusing on a Montgomery neighborhood, force-policy reforms, community oversight, and additional training requirements, Rio Bravo Park cleanup will take longer than expected, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Restaurants still struggling to recover from COVID, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, State basketball tournament: Girls first round recap, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Local casino hosts National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, UNM police arrest man for giving false ID, fleeing, More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, Man connected to political shootings to stay behind, Safety improvements proposed for Nob Hill corridor, NM businesses are feeling impact of Pion shortage, CDC: Baby death linked to contaminated breast pump, Whats happening around New Mexico Mar. or redistributed. Court documents state that two guns purchased by Syed and his father at an Albuquerque gun store in July had been partially painted white. Homicide data from APD; map data from UNM RGIS/US Census, Its just a part of Albuquerque that looks like theres no oversight there. https://www.cabq.gov/police/documents/apd-homicide-list-for-web-site-as-of-17may2021.pdf/view, https://www.cabq.gov/@@site-logo/seal-small.png, Documents Related to APD Settlement Agreement, Documents Related to APD's Settlement Agreement, McClendon v. City of Albuquerque Settlement, Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Backlog Reduction Project. He had just attended the funerals for the two other recent victims. Interactive Slider: Over the last few years, homicides (orange markers) have been focused around downtown Albuquerque and Central Ave. (Credit: Albuquerque Police Department). (U.S. District Court/AP). This file photo released Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, by the Albuquerque Police Department shows Muhammad Syed. And the problem extends far beyond Central. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But, there are mixed feelings on the effectiveness of simply increasing police presence in troubled areas. All rights reserved. To some extent, data supports Medinas claim. The City will also be working with the police departments serving the University of New Mexico and the Albuquerque Public School system, working to ensure students are safely returning to their respective campuses, Keller wrote. 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. As a result, violent crime including Albuquerques homicides are the result of what Huffmyer calls a mishmash of complex factors. (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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Albuquerque The record was broken that year and again in 2022. Four men in total all Muslims from South Asia were ambushed, shot, and killed in Albuquerque since November 2021. The 311 service is a single telephone number for all non-emergency City of Albuquerque inquiries and services. By JEFFREY COLLINS and JAMES POLLARD, Associated Press. In the first three quarters of 2021, Albuquerque had 111 violent crimes per 10,000 people, according to FBI data. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. , New Mexico man accused of sex crime against student, One person dead, another hospitalized in SE ABQ shooting, Case dismissed for teen accused of taking gun to, Dancing in the Cave at the University of New Mexico, Whats happening around New Mexico Feb. 24 Mar. Aftab Hussein, 41, was shot and killed on July 26 after parking his car near his home. 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. 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. Albuquerque (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal via AP). The average has risen in the past few years, according to federal crime data. Syed's son, 21-year-old Shaheen Syed, is also behind bars for allegedly providing a false address when he purchased a gun in June 2021. All rights reserved. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP). The FBI is assisting in the murder investigations. Gruesome details released in quadruple murder case at ABQ This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It looks like nobody cares, Thomson says. But Gallegos says that while public distrust of APD certainly exists, it isnt a big hinderance to APDs ability to investigate violent crime. Albuquerque Albuquerque Police identify man killed outside Nob Hill home Over the past 35 years, Albuquerques yearly homicide count has averaged about 45 homicides per year, KRQE reported. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. The most recent murder took place on 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. View Albuquerque crime mapping information. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Several months before that, on Nov. 7, 2021, 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. The shooter opened fire during the lunch hour at Washington Middle School in front of numerous students who had returned for the fall semester just two days earlier. 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. Albuquerque, however, has seen a bigger rise in homicides than many similarly-sized cities, according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, a group that represents police executives in large cities across the US. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. An Albuquerque man, Richard Saravia, has pled guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal property damage following a 2021 road rage incident. All but three of the 2021 killings are being investigated by Albuquerque police, the Albuquerque Journal reported. Estimates from the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that New Mexicos violent crime and homicide rates have been above the national average for several years now. Albuquerque homicides now account for more than half of New Mexicos entire yearly homicide count. Adding to the homicide team wont prevent homicides, APDs Gilbert Gallegos says. 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. 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.". Crime Albuquerque Journal And even data on violent crimes doesnt paint the full picture. Police are probing whether he was also involved in the murder. That put Albuquerque in the top 10 most violent cities with populations over 100,000 people. 2023 The City of Albuquerque. 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. But Albuquerques increase is above average according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Syed, the suspect, has "denied having any involvement in the murders in this case," according to a criminal complaint. But Aneela Abad, general secretary for the Islamic Center of New Mexico, told The Associated Press the community is grappling not only with the losses, but also the fear and confusion. ABQ Homicides Up KRQE News 13 previously reported that the citys homicide rate was outpacing previous years and that the crimes tend to happen in certain parts of the city. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The 311 service is a single telephone number for all non-emergency City of Albuquerque inquiries and services. Albuquerque police identify suspect in possible New Mexico serial In December, the city named 14 people to its gun violence prevention and intervention task force to come up with recommendations over the next 12 months. 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. Hartsock also pointed out that APD has been working on increasing staffing and getting better technology along with focusing on detective training. Yet one of the most basic crime prevention strategies is to make a place look clean, inviting, and cared for, she says. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. All rights reserved. , 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. An attorney for Syed did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Data from FBI UCR Program. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Police believe three recent murders and a murder that happened on Nov. 7, 2021, could be potentially connected. The sooner people recognize that there is not one circumstance that is causing this, the better, Huffmyer says. 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. A funeral service was held for Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico on Friday. The son of a New Mexico man suspected of gunning down four Muslim men over the course of several months will remain in custody pending trial for allegedly using a bogus address to buy a gun last year. Lawmakers are once again considering a similar measure that would criminalize negligent gun storage in cases where a child brandishes the weapon or uses it to hurt someone. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Homicides, of course, contribute to the violent reputation. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Albuquerque Police: Man shoots self, unintentionally kills woman Police say a man shot himself and unintentionally killed a woman when the bullet passed through his Market data provided by Factset. Albuquerque has had more than one homicide over beer pong, she says to illustrate her point. Its not clear why New Mexico is particularly prone to violence. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. As of April 18, 2021, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) recorded 35 homicides across the city. Muhammad Syed is scheduled to appear before a state district judge Wednesday as prosecutors seek to have him detained without bond pending trial on the two counts of murder. This was a terrible tragedy for everyone involved, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said in a statement Thursday. Many police departments saw an increase in homicides this year. 2021 was a record-breaking year for homicides in Albuquerque with 114, the first homicide happened on Jan. 8 and the last Dec. 31. The rise in fentanyl deals may also contribute, according to Hartsock. Stephanie Pagones is a Digital Reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. For years, Albuquerque has had a problem with unsightly property, as reported by KRQE special assignment reporter Gabrielle Burkhart in 2017. So one could argue that that was a drug-related crime, Thomson says. FILE - Family members wait to pick up students after a fatal shooting at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 13, 2021. On Aug. 1, the third victim, local city planner Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, was gunned down in the area of Cornell Drive Southeast and Garfield Avenue Southeast, police said. Crime Statistics Our Department Officer Wellness Internal Affairs Behavioral Sciences Section Sexual Assault Evidence Kit The lie that people are told is that drug crimes are nonviolent, Huffmyer says. 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 Market data provided by Factset. It changed the Hargrove family forever and devastated hundreds of children, parents, school faculty and the community.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Investigators said they think those three murders happened in Grants, and Lannon is accused of killing a fourth man in Albuquerque. (Albuquerque Police Department via AP, File), Albuquerque police release body camera video of murder suspect being arrested. Albuquerque Law enforcement officials in New Mexico identified 51-year-old Muhammad Syed as the primary suspect in a string of killings of Muslim men in Albuquerque over It was horrific, Thomson recalls. "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. But it is important to note that the numbers in this report differ slightly from the numbers published in the FBI reports. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) New Mexicos largest city recorded 117 killings in 2021, shattering its previous homicide record by 46%. The data in citywide crime statistics report is based on the official data that APD sends to the FBI. KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For example, in 2017, during her time as a sergeant, Thomson saw one of the most heinous murders: the murder of John Soyka. Why are there so many murders in Albuquerque this year? - KRQE All rights reserved. Legal Statement. Homicides are generally concentrated in communities that have chronically high levels of firearm violence, disparities, racial and ethnic disparities, segregation, underemployment, [and] poverty, says Christopher Lyons, a professor of sociology at the University of New Mexico. Former FBI investigator Bill Daly breaks down the case as law enforcement investigates the attack. West Mesa murders Some worked to bring attention to gun violence through a national memorial effort in the fall. The shooting of 62-year-old Afghan migrant Mohammad Ahmadi on November 7, 2021, in the parking lot of a halal supermarket he ran is the fourth killing that detectives are trying to determine if it is related to the more recent homicides, Albuquerque said. Police, however, are still being tight-lipped about any possible suspects. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal via AP), "We are just completely shocked," she said, "and still trying to comprehend and understand what happened, how and why.".