Video: Murder suspect appears to slash tires at Albuquerque mosque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Muhammad Syed has not been charged with the murder of Mohammad Zahir Ahmadi last November, but police say he’s the prime suspect. Now, video shows that Syed had a prior confrontation with the victim and his family.

The victim’s brother, Sharief Ahmadi Hadi, claims Syed slashed the tires on his wife’s car outside the Islamic Center of New Mexico in February 2020.

Surveillance video shows a man walking up to the car, bending down near the passenger side tires. The president of the Islamic Center of New Mexico provided the video to KOB 4 and said Syed was temporarily banned after the mosque identified him as the man who slashed the tires.

According to NBC News, Sharief said his brother had previously confronted Syed over what he believed was a scheme involving products at the brother’s store. He said Syed was purchasing large amounts of rice and then trying to sell it back to the brothers for a profit.

It was the same store where police say Zahir was shot and killed in November of 2021.