Arrests in NJ Murders
Charles Johnson
Fri Mar 4, 2005 at 9:32 am PST • Views: 183
There have been arrests in the murder of a New Jersey Coptic Christian family. (Hat tip: Master Shake.)
JERSEY CITY, N.J. Two people have been arrested in the murder of a New Jersey family — a case that caused religious tensions.
The victims were members of an Egyptian Christian family — a husband and wife and their two children. Their bodies were found in January.
The slayings caused animosity between Christians and Muslims in New Jersey. Friends of the victims speculated that the father had angered Muslims by posting in Internet chat rooms under the user name “I Love Jesus.” And many Coptic Christians in New Jersey and elsewhere blamed Islamic extremists.
But prosecutors aren’t giving a motive for the slayings. They’ve said robbery may have been a factor.
Someone used the victims’ A-T-M card to withdraw thousands of dollars from a bank account in the days after the slayings.
UPDATE at 3/4/05 10:40:57 am:
More info here: Two Arrested In Slaying Of Jersey City Family. (Hat tip: zulubaby.)
The first person rounded up in this investigation lived on Charles Street, about a mile away from the victims. He has been identified by sources as Edward McDonald, who once live on the second floor of the Armanious family home.
McDonald recently moved into apartment 5 on Charles Street and that’s where police spent most of yesterday bringing evidence out of the apartment.
Frank says: