Oscar Morel appears for an arraignment at the Queens Criminal Court for his alleged involvement in the murder of Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin in Queens, New York, U.S., August 16, 2016. Morel will return to court on Thursday, at which time a homicide attorney will be assigned to represent him. About 10 minutes later, a vehicle matching that description hit a cyclist in the nearby borough of Brooklyn.
Advertisement
Morel was arrested outside a flat in Brooklyn on Sunday after he intentionally rammed his auto into an unmarked police cruiser trying to block him in, police said.
Police said they also recovered a revolver in the suspect’s home and clothes similar to that being worn in a video that shows the gunman.
Oscar Morel, 35, of the borough of Brooklyn, was charged just hours after hundreds of mourners gathered for the outdoor funeral of the two men on Monday.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said during a press conference on Monday night that they “strongly believe” the suspect in custody is the same person who killed Akonjee and Uddin.
Aside from the gun, evidence includes security video of the shooting, prosecutors said Tuesday, adding that the defendant had identified himself in other videos from cameras located a few blocks away.
Akonjee was a devout and humble preacher beloved by the area’s Bangladeshi Muslim community, according to those who knew him.
Police told a briefing before the charges were announced that a suspect being questioned was an Hispanic man from Brooklyn.
Police say the two men were attacked from behind and were not robbed, leading many to conclude that the shooting was motivated by their race or religion.
A suspect has been charged with the double murder of a NY imam and his friend. He hasn’t been charged in the double slaying.
He says 10 minutes later, that auto also struck a bicyclist 3 miles away in Brooklyn.
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews). Thousands gather to pray at caskets of Imam Maulama Akonjee, draped in green top, and Thara Uddin in a municipal parking lot, Monday Aug. 15, 2016, in NY.
The victims were wearing religious attire at the time of the shooting, according to a law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the service Monday that Muslims make NY better and stronger.
“Mayor Bill de Blasio [told the mourners] mosques would be given extra protection”. However, he said it was “only temporary” and that he “now has no hate for the Muslims”.
Emotions ran high. Some people shouted for justice as a man spoke at the podium.
Advertisement
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.
