Virginia Muslim girl found dead near mosque
Police in the US state of Virginia
have found the remains believed to be of a 17-year-old Muslim girl who
was assaulted near a mosque before disappearing.
The teenager,
identified as Nabra Hussein, was walking with friends when they got into
a dispute with a driver in Herndon, police said.
The man left the car and assaulted the girl, they said. She then disappeared.
A 22-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged with murder.
The
reason for the attack was still unknown, but police said there was
nothing to indicate that it was a hate crime, Fairfax County police
spokeswoman Julie Parker told the BBC.
The Washington Post reported
that a group of four or five teenagers including Nabra had visited a
fast-food restaurant to have a late-night meal - Muslims are currently
observing the holy month of Ramadan, when they fast from dawn to sunset.
At about 04:00 (08:00 GMT), the group was confronted by the driver as they walked on a street.
The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (Adams), a local community centre,
said that its members came across the teenagers and directed them to
their building. But one of them, Nabra, was left behind and was later
reported as missing to the authorities.
During the search, which included a helicopter, police said they
stopped a car driving suspiciously in the area, and took the driver,
identified as Darwin Martinez Torres, into custody.
Later, at about 15:00, police found the remains in a pond some three miles (five kilometres) from the scene of the incident, police said in a statement.
A baseball bat was also found, local media reported.
An autopsy will be carried out to confirm the identity of the body and the exact cause and manner of death.
A statement by the Adams centre said: "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."
Nabra's mother, Sawsan Gazzar, told the Washington Post:
"I think it had to do with the way she was dressed and the fact that
she's Muslim."
Meanwhile, an online campaign to help the girl's family has already raised $118,000 (£92,000).
BBC
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