Suspect in killing of maintenance worker at Sanford mosque indicted for murder
A grand jury in Seminole County indicted the man accused of killing a maintenance worker at a mosque in Sanford on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder Tuesday.
38-year-old Ahmad Raslan was also indicted on charges of burglary of a structure with assault or battery, and grand theft of a motor vehicle.
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Seminole Grand Jury Indicts Ahmed RASLAN (38) for 1st Degree Premeditated Murder in the death of Mahmood Kouther Abdullatif Al Taee (59), maintenance worker at the Husseini Islamic Center in @SeminoleSO All charges & summary at: https://t.co/jrxDdeFpGe pic.twitter.com/9YYBX7lsI6
— State Attorney 18th Circuit FL (@SA18PIO) May 10, 2022
Seminole County deputies responded to a 911 call from the Husseini Islamic Center in Sanford just before 9 a.m. on March 24.
They arrived to find the victim, 59-year-old Mahmood Kouther Abdullatif Al Taee, dead from severe head trauma.
Before his body was found, witnesses said they saw Al Taee’s van leaving the area.
Later that day, deputies in Indian River County found Raslan in Al Taee’s van parked at a shopping center in Vero Beach.
Raslan was shot by Indian River County deputies as they attempted to take him into custody.
Once he was well enough to be released from the hospital, Raslan was transferred to the Seminole County jail on a charge of murder.
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After hearing testimony from the Seminole County detective investigating the murder, a grand jury returned Tuesday with the indictment for first-degree murder.
Raslan has been held in the Seminole County jail on no bond since he was released from the hospital. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on May 17.
Sheriff's Detectives Investigate Homicide at Hester Avenue Mosque
At approximately 8:45 AM today, deputies responded to a report of a possibly deceased male at the Husseini Islamic Center located at 5211 Hester Ave in unincorporated Sanford. Upon arrival deputies located an unidentified victim on the grounds with significant injuries. The 59-year-old victim, a maintenance worker at the facility, was pronounced dead at the scene. It was determined the suspect had broken into the facility and was involved in a altercation with the employee. A witness reported seeing the suspect leaving the area in the victim’s Chrysler Town & Country minivan. A BOLO was issued and law enforcement made contact with the vehicle at a Sam’s Club parking lot in Indian River County. When confronted, the suspect was shot multiple times by Indian River County Deputies. He was transported to a local hospital. Preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect and victim were coworkers. Upon further investigation, it was determined that was not the case. Detectives say the suspect, 38-year-old Ahmed Raslan, had been making irrational statements online. According to those statements, the suspect believed the mosque was his residence. To view WFTV’s updated briefing with Sheriff Dennis Lemma, click https://www.wftv.com/news/sheriff-man-who-beat-mosque-worker-death-with-shovel-thought-he-was-julius-caesars-descendent/f275748f-1379-4bcf-bdf1-e57e68264cac/ Sheriff Lemma’s original press conference can be viewed below:
Posted by Seminole County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, March 24, 2022
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