A 66-year-old woman was killed in Glendale, Arizona, after police say a man approached her and her husband with a story about finding dropped keys — then ran her down as he fled with her purse in front of her devastated spouse who had been preparing to tour a home they were considering purchasing.
Background
The couple had traveled from out of town to look at houses in the Glendale area on June 20, according to police. They were parked outside a residence they planned to tour when Ali Hcaimi allegedly pulled up beside them in his maroon Lexus. Investigators say Hcaimi told the victim he had seen her and her husband at Fry's grocery store and that she dropped a key.
The woman spoke Cantonese, as did her husband, creating what police described as a language barrier during the encounter. When the victim lifted her purse to check for keys, Hcaimi allegedly lunged from his vehicle and grabbed the handbag.
"They struggled over retention of the purse," according to an arrest affidavit. "The victim was holding onto the purse when the suspect fled, causing her to be drug under the rear wheels of the vehicle."
The Investigation
After running over the woman in front of her husband, Hcaimi drove directly to a McDonald's restaurant with two juveniles who were with him, according to police. Officers tracked him there through surveillance footage that showed him using an ordering kiosk and attempting to pay with the victim's credit or debit card.
When the card was declined, Hcaimi allegedly went back to his Lexus and proceeded through the drive-thru, purchasing food with cash after the juveniles told police he used their parents' credit card at the kiosk. Officers detained him at the restaurant.
"There were tire marks on her head," a prosecutor said in court, according to KSAZ. "He engaged in a string of robberies, two at least, where he preyed upon elderly victims."
Hcaimi claimed during police interviews that he had been kidnapped earlier that day by an unidentified man who showed him a knife and gun, stripped him naked, zip-tied him, and placed him in the trunk. He alleged his kidnapper committed the robbery and killing while he was bound. However, investigators found evidence contradicting this account — including information from Hcaimi's own mother that he had cut his hand the previous day when a mirror broke.
Police recovered the victim's property from Hcaimi's vehicle: her purse, credit cards, cellphone, and necklace. Investigators also linked him to another robbery of an elderly woman he followed home after watching her withdraw $5,000 in cash at a bank.
Key Takeaways
- Ali Hcaimi, 23, is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of robbery
- The victim was a 66-year-old woman killed while house hunting with her husband in Glendale, Arizona
- Police say Hcaimi lured the victim with a dropped key story before grabbing her purse and running her over
- He allegedly went to McDonald's after the killing and tried using the victim's credit cards in front of officers
- Investigators recovered the victim's belongings from his vehicle and linked him to a second robbery of an elderly woman at a bank
What's Next
Hcaimi is being held without bond. He is due back in court June 26.