New York City imam murder suspect held without bail
NEW YORK -- A man arrested in connection with the murders of a New York City imam and his friend was arraigned Tuesday and ordered held without bail, reports CBS New York.
Oscar Morel, 35, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
If convicted, Morel faces up to life in prison without parole.
"While the motivation for this violent act is still unclear and continues to be investigated, one of the possible motives being explored is whether this was a hate crime," Brown said in a statement. "Crimes motivated by bias or hate are deplorable and can never be tolerated."
Police said Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin were killed near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Ozone Park Saturday afternoon.
The two men were walking home from the mosque when authorities said Morel came up from behind and fired multiple rounds, shooting both victims in the head.
They were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Officers took Morel into custody late Sunday night outside a Brooklyn apartment as he approached a vehicle that police had linked to an unrelated hit-and-run, and which matched the description of the shooting suspect's getaway car.
"Detectives from the Fugitive Task Force Unit approached the car, and then he rammed the detectives' car several times in an effort to get away," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce. "He was placed under arrest without any further incident and brought back to the precinct for more debriefing."
Boyce said Morel was seen on surveillance video fleeing the area of the shooting in a black GMC Trailblazer. About 10 minutes later, a car matching that description struck a bicyclist nearby in Brooklyn.