Oscar Morel, the suspect accused in the shooting deaths of a New York City imam and his friend, was arrested and charged with murder late Monday.
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Oscar Morel, 35, of East New York was charged with both men’s murders and criminal possession of a weapon, the NYPD said.
Police believe they have identified the suspect in the killing of a Queens imam and his associate who is now being held on unrelated charges of a hit-and-run that took place roughly three miles from the scene of the homicide, city officials announced at a press conference Monday evening.
But Boyce says surveillance footage shows the man speeding away from the scene of the Saturday shooting near a Queens mosque in a black GMC Trailblazer.
He says 10 minutes later, that auto also struck a bicyclist 3 miles away in Brooklyn.
Morel was arrested outside a Brooklyn flat after he intentionally rammed his vehicle into an unmarked police cruiser trying to block him in, Mr Boyce said.
“A police official said investigators had found what they believe was the murder weapon in the man’s home as well as clothes matching the description of what the gunman had been wearing during the shootings”.
Also on Monday, hundreds of mourners gathered for an Islamic funeral service for the two victims.
The leaders slammed “xenophobic statements” made against the community in speeches by “politicians and candidates seeking the highest office in the land”, in a clear reference to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
‘Everybody is very upset, ‘ Uddin said, adding that he believes it was a hate crime.
Some mosque-goers suggested it was a hate crime, but police said there was no evidence so far that the men had been targeted due to their faith.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, addressing the funeral, said the city would bolster police presence in the neighborhood.
A Brooklyn man was taken into police custody on the evening of August 15 and charged in connection with the shooting death of a Muslim imam and his assistant, according to local authorities.
Several speakers said they believed the victims were targeted due to their religion.
The imam, Alauddin Akonjee, was a father and grandfather, who was described in a recent New York Times article as someone who delivered messages of peace and kindness to his congregation at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque.
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The killings have shocked the neighbourhood’s Bangladeshi community. Boyce said he may have worked in a Brooklyn warehouse but wouldn’t comment any further on his background, mental state or whether he had invoked his right to counsel.
