Pakistani Finance Worker Murdered At His Upscale Dc Building Had Let His Killers In Thinking They Were Fellow Tenants: Police

A Pakistani finance and IT master killed wrong his upscale Washington, D.C., condo building whitethorn person unknowingly fto his attackers inside, mistaking them for chap residents, constabulary said.

At a news convention this week, Interim Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffrey W. Carroll described nan victim, Syed Hammad Hussain, 40, arsenic “an guiltless person,” saying investigators judge he opened nan doors of The Zenith connected February 11, assuming nan group extracurricular lived there, nan Washington Post reports. Authorities added that nan suspects person not been connected to immoderate different robberies aliases convulsive incidents.

“He was going retired to get nutrient and going backmost home,” Carroll said, adding that location is nary known narration betwixt Hussain and his killers. “They conscionable took advantage of him.”

Rico Rashaad Barnes, 36, of Northwest Washington, has been charged pinch first-degree murder successful nan sidesplitting of Hussain. Authorities later besides charged Alphonso Walker, 39, of Northwest Washington, pinch first-degree murder. He was already successful constabulary custody connected unrelated charges astatine nan clip of his arrest.

The incident began successful nan early greeting hours of February 11, erstwhile Barnes and different man allegedly followed Hussain for respective blocks from a fast-food edifice to The Zenith, located successful a typically low-crime Logan Circle neighborhood. Surveillance footage cited by constabulary shows Hussain entering nan building astir 1:35 a.m.

Moments later, 1 of nan suspects approached a solid doorway and began banging connected it until Hussain fto him inside, apparently assuming that nan man besides lived there. A 2nd fishy followed, on pinch a 3rd man who accompanied them and later cooperated pinch investigators.

Authorities opportunity nan group based on successful a hallway earlier moving outside, wherever Hussain was punched and collapsed. The 3rd man past near nan scene. The 2 remaining suspects are accused of carrying Hussain backmost into nan building and into his first-floor apartment, either by utilizing an entree codification aliases a cardinal fob, according to tribunal documents obtained by nan Post.

Roughly an hr later, astatine astir 2:40 a.m., surveillance video shows nan 2 suspects leaving nan building. One was seen pushing a bicycle and carrying 2 bags, while nan different wore a leather overgarment and a wintertime coat, which constabulary opportunity he did not person erstwhile he entered.

Emergency crews recovered Hussain’s assemblage astir 3:30 a.m. aft responding to reports of fume successful nan building. His flat doorway was closed but unlocked, and inside, he was discovered look down successful nan surviving room pinch his hands and feet loosely tied pinch neckties.

Court records authorities Hussain suffered aggregate skull fractures, and investigators recovered 2 25-pound metallic dumbbells adjacent his body, on pinch signs he had been strangled and burned.

Police besides reported nan flat had been ransacked, pinch laptop computers missing and a bicycle charger recovered without nan bicycle.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Hussain’s family said his sidesplitting is devastating, remembering him arsenic an outgoing, well-dressed professional, and vowing to travel nan trial.

“He lived his life. He was happy.” Syed K. Hussain told nan outlet.