The Virginia Muslim teenage girl who went missing on Sunday morning and was later found dead was initially suspected of being a victim of a hate crime but officials later noted she might have been killed due to Road Rage.
The teen, identified as Nabra Hassanen of Reston, Virginia, left the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) mosque together with four or five teens. The teens left to get breakfast at an IHOP and when they were on their way back to the mosque, and they had a dispute with a man inside a car. Police did not yet confirm how Hassanen died but police have arrested and charged a man linked to her death, identified as 22-year-old Darwin A.
Martinez Torres.
The co-chair of ADAMS, Shoyeb Hassan, said that for the last 10 days of Ramadan, the mosque has extra prayers during midnight and at 2 a.m. Prayer-goers then usually go to McDonald’s or IHOP to eat breakfast before they start fasting at sunrise.
What did the suspect do to Nabra Hassanen?
Martinez Torres reportedly had a verbal argument with the group of teens and chased them at the parking lot. He caught up with Hassanen, who tripped over her dress, and hit her. Hassanen, who was 16 or 17 years old, was no longer with the other teens when they ran back to the mosque. They reported her missing at around 4 a.m. local time. A body of a female was found at around 3 p.m. at a pond.
The medical examiner’s office is yet to formally identify whose remains were found and what the manner of death was.
Hassanen’s mother said she was told her daughter was struck with a metal bat but police did not confirm this yet. The mother noted her daughter wore Muslim garb and that might have contributed to the attack. A crowdfunding campaign was set up to help raise money for Hassanen’s funeral and, as of Monday, it collected more than $160,000.
Death of Nabra Hassanen not due to hate crime
Fairfax County police spokesman Don Gotthardt said in a statement there is no indication that the killing of Hassanen is in any way related to a hate crime. However, they will still take her religion into account during the investigation. Gotthardt promised they will get to the bottom of the case.
Martinez Torres is now held without bond at the Fairfax County juvenile court. He is a Salvadoran, a construction worker, and has a four-year-old son and a girlfriend.
His family is said to be shocked over the reports. They said he is a nice person and could not imagine why he is now accused of such crime.
