A man has been arrested in the killing of Syed Hammad Hussain, a 40-year-old Northwest Washington resident found dead inside his condominium in the city’s ritzy Logan Circle neighborhood in February, in what police describe as a “particularly heinous” case involving a robbery, a violent assault and a fire set after his death.
Rico Rashaad Barnes, 36, of Northwest DC, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree murder while armed in Hussain’s killing, authorities said.
Police have identified a second suspect, who is already in custody on unrelated charges and is expected to be charged in the case.
The killing occurred in the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW, a well-trafficked area in the Logan Circle area known for its restaurants and high-end residential buildings.
“This was a particularly heinous case,” Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeff Carroll said during a Tuesday news conference. “Mr. Hussain was found suffering from blunt force trauma and thermal injuries inside of his apartment.”
Firefighters responding to reports of smoke around 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 11 entered Hussain’s apartment, extinguished a small fire and found him unconscious and not breathing.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma and strangulation.
Investigators determined the fire had been set after Hussain’s death.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital detail the violent sequence of events.
According to a 27-page affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital, surveillance footage shows Hussain entering his apartment building around 1:30 a.m., followed closely by two men.
“The video shows two suspects appearing to follow Mr. Hussain into the building,” Commander Kevin Kentish of the department’s Criminal Investigations Division said Tuesday. “Shortly thereafter, the suspects knocked on the door, and Mr. Hussain allowed them inside.”
Once inside, investigators say, the encounter escalated.
Video and witness statements, police said, revealed that Hussain was assaulted in the building’s lobby, struck and knocked to the ground before being forced toward his apartment. Detectives believe he was then dragged or carried inside, where the attack continued out of view of cameras.
When emergency crews later entered the apartment, they found Hussain lying face down with his wrists and ankles bound. Blood was visible on floors, walls and furniture, according to investigators.
The autopsy found multiple blunt force injuries, including skull fractures, as well as evidence of ligature strangulation.
Burns to Hussain’s body were determined to have occurred after his death. Investigators allege the killing took place during a robbery.
The apartment had been searched, with drawers opened and items missing, including electronics, jewelry and cash. Authorities said that $50,000 worth of items were stolen from the condo.
“Video evidence was key in this case,” Kentish said, adding that detectives spent “countless hours” reviewing footage from inside the building and surrounding areas.
That video trail revealed that the suspects left the building around 2:30 a.m. carrying multiple bags.
Detectives tracked them across Northwest Washington using surveillance cameras and footage obtained with help from Metro Transit Police.
The suspects were seen walking along Rhode Island Avenue, then boarding a Metrobus and traveling toward the Georgia Avenue corridor before continuing by foot, according to investigators.
Through that process, police identified Barnes as one of the suspects.
Court documents say detectives matched surveillance images with police records and witness identifications.
A second suspect, identified in court documents as Alphonso Walker, was also linked to the crime through surveillance footage, witness statements and GPS data from an ankle monitor, which placed him in the area during the timeframe of the killing.
Barnes was arrested March 30 by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Police said they do not believe there are additional suspects.
Investigators said they do not believe Hussain had a prior relationship with the suspects before the day of the killing.
Carroll praised the work of homicide detectives and partner agencies involved in the case, calling it “strong detective work.”
“On behalf of the entire Metropolitan Police Department, I want to express my deepest sympathies to Mr. Hussain’s family and his friends,” Carroll said. “We know that this news does not ease the pain that you’re feeling, but we hope it does bring some level of closure.”
Barnes remains in custody as the case proceeds in DC Superior Court.
Read the full article here
