A 17-year-old American Muslim girl with Egyptian origins was murdered on Monday after being accosted and kidnapped by a stranger in front of a mosque in Virginia, according to US media.
The Washington Post reported that a group of four or five teenagers, including victim Nabra Hussein, had visited a fast-food restaurant near the local mosque to have a late-night meal.
Hussein was leaving the restaurant with her friends when a stranger drove up and insulted them. The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), a local community center, said that its members saw the teenagers and directed them to their building. However, Hussein began to quarrel with the offender. The man then got out of his vehicle, wielding a baseball bat, and attacked Hussein before disappearing with her.
Police forces launched a search operation for Hussein and her captor after she was reported missing, according to reports on the incident.
The perpetrator, 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres, was caught and is facing murder charges.
Hussein’s remains were found in a stagnant pond five kilometers from the initial crime scene, according to the police report on the incident.
An autopsy will be carried out to confirm the identity of the body and the exact cause and manner of death.
“We are devastated and heartbroken as our community undergoes and processes this traumatic event. It is a time for us to come together to pray and care for our youth,” a statement by the ADAMS center said.
