Surveillance video shows suspects tied to Ali Ismail slaying on Valentine's Day
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Arlington homicide detectives released a portion of surveillance video showing two suspects and a person of interest tied to the killing of Ali Ismail, 36, on Valentine's Day.
The father of six was fatally shot after he pulled into his driveway after coming home from work. "This is sad man. The man is hard working guy. He had six kids. I don't know what to tell, don't know what to tell them. This is not right. He was slaughtered in front of his house," said friend Mustafa Yasiin.
Grainy video shows the individuals walking through the neighborhood prior to the shooting. "You don't get a great look at the suspects' faces – but it's the best we've got right now," said detectives.
Officers found Ismail shortly after 5 a.m. in the 1400 block of Prentice Street. He was lying with a gunshot wound inside his SUV. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
"The victim was minding his own business, came home and someone started firing rounds at him," Arlington Police Department Sgt. Courtney White said. "We don't know the motive to this heinous crime."
Based on their investigation, detectives said they believe the suspects were in the neighborhood attempting to break into parked vehicles when Ismail drove up. Ismail works overnight at a trucking company in Arlington. It appears one of the suspects was in the Ismail's driveway at the time, trying to hide. As Ismail pulled into his driveway, the suspect pulled a gun, firing multiple shots, police said.
"No words were exchanged between the victim and shooter," said Sgt. White. "I do not know if the victim was targeted but witnesses did see suspects pulling on car door handles."
Investigators said both suspects then ran from the neighborhood, heading east along Prentice Street.
Additionally, surveillance footage shared by detectives taken at 2:30 a.m., shows a man trying to break into an SUV in a nearby neighborhood. Detectives said they can't "definitively say whether he is one of the shooting suspects – but he is considered a person of interest in this case and detectives would like to speak to him."
If anyone recognizes any of the individuals, they should call Detective Hall at (817) 459-5325. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at (817) 469-8477.
Oak Farms Dairy is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the suspect(s).
Detectives continue to ask homeowners who live in the area, particularly those east of Prentice Drive, to check their video surveillance systems and see if they have footage of anything unusual from that morning (4 a.m. – 6 a.m. on Feb 14).