Suspect charged with two murders after four Muslim men killed in Albuquerque

Aug. 9 (UPI) -- A man, arrested in relation to the recent killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, has been charged with two of the murders, detectives announced Tuesday.

Albuquerque Police said Muhammad Syed, 51, is the "primary suspect in the recent murders of Muslim men." Syed has been charged with murdering Aftab Hussein on July 26 and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain on Aug. 1. Detectives connected those homicides using bullet casings found at the scenes. Authorities said Syed could face charges in the other two murders of Naeem Hussain on Aug. 5 and Mohammad Ahmadi on Nov. 7.

Albuquerque Police said a tip from the public led them to Syed earlier Tuesday. "We tracked down the vehicle believed to be involved in a recent murder of a Muslim man in Albuquerque. The driver was detained and he is our primary suspect for the murders," Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina wrote on Twitter.

Authorities in Albuquerque called for the public's help Monday in tracking down a dark silver sedan described as a vehicle of interest in the recent deaths of four Muslim men in the New Mexico city.

Pictures of the Volkswagen four-door sedan were published online by the Albuquerque Police Department and shared by local officials including New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham who called on the public to aid in the search.

After taking Syed into custody Tuesday, police searched his house in Santa Rosa, N.M., where they found multiple firearms including one they said was used in two of the murders. Investigators said Syed appears to have known his victims and that an "interpersonal conflict" may have led to the killings.

"This has been a tough week for our community," Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said. "But we all pitched in to solve these crimes and protect a community that felt like it was under attack. We came together, like we always do in Albuquerque."