I may be jumping to conclusions here on a last-name basis, but this just turned up on the FOX News site:
N.J. Police Search for Baby After Father Claims He Threw Her Off Bridge
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Print ShareThisSAYREVILLE, N.J. — New Jersey State Police are searching for a 3-month-old girl after her father told them he threw his daughter off a bridge and into a river.
The search Wednesday is centered around the Garden State Parkway's Driscoll Bridge, which spans the Raritan River between Sayreville and Woodbridge, and is across the bay from New York's Staten Island.
Authorities say Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem grabbed the girl from the child's grandmother in East Orange Tuesday afternoon and fled.
Police found 21-year-old Abdur-Raheem at a relative's home about five hours later.
Winslow police Lt. Michael Hoffman says the man told officers he had been driving south on the parkway when he pulled over and threw his daughter off the bridge.
Abdur-Raheem did not have custody of his daughter, and he and the child's mother are not married.
UPDATES -
ABC News Video covers this story link
". . .East Orange, NJ – Authorities allege that late Tuesday afternoon, Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem, 21, disappeared with his 3-month-old daughter, Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem, after punching the child’s elderly grandmother in the face and snatching her from the woman’s arms. He then placed the infant, dressed only in pajamas, into a red mini-van and sped away. Later that evening, when police caught up with Raheem, Zara was nowhere to be found. During questioning, Raheem told investigators that after running off with the child, he wrapped her in a sleeping bag and threw her off the Driscoll Bridge and into the Raritan River. A search was immediately launched along the Raritan River and its banks. Though Raheem is the child’s biological father, he did not have custodial rights. At this time, the motive behind the abduction is unknown. "
Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem is a 2006 Graduate of Atlantic City High School, and was a senior criminal justice major at Richard Stockton State College and interned with the NJ Attorney Generals office and was planning to become a lawyer. He was driving his mother's minivan.
Note there is not one word about the infant's mother.
I have some familiarity with that bridge and have difficulty believing this occured as the father stated. The Driscoll bridge (image) is a VERY BUSY, NARROW and STEEP 15 lane bridge (the widest bridge in the world). It is neither convenient or safe to stop anywhere on this bridge on the best of days - - now consider yesterday's snowy/wet/slippery weather conditions in that area.
Here's a better image of this bridge while under construction link
He had an accomplice?
NJ Star Ledger 10 minutes ago (includes photos of infant and bridge)
EAST ORANGE — A 21-year-old Atlantic County man who is accused of throwing his 3-month-old daughter from the Garden State Parkway's Driscoll Bridge into the Raritan River Tuesday night apparently had an accomplice drive him off after kidnapping the infant from her grandmother's apartment, a witness said today.
Chris Bailey, the superintendent of the East Orange apartment building the child's grandmother lived in, said he found the grandmother right after the kidnapping and she described her desperate attempts to stop the abduction.
Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem, of Galloway Township, who does not have custody rights for his daughter, is accused of abducting Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem Tuesday from her grandmother in East Orange after an argument, authorities said.
Rescue crews were out all night and continued to search the river this morning, said Stephen Jones, spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police. Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem is charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon by East Orange police.
State Police spokesman Sgt. Julian Castellanos said the suspect was in custody in East Orange. Police continue to search the river today even though they had no independent eyewitness to the baby being thrown into the river. Bailey said he saw Abdur-Raheem walk into the building at about 1 p.m. talking on his cellphone. The baby's grandmother, whose last name is Benjamin, told Bailey that the suspect then barged into the apartment and took the baby.
"He pushed his way in and knocked her to the floor," Bailey said according to Benjamin.
The grandmother, wearing a t-shirt, sweatpants and no shoes, ran after Abdur-Raheem, who was clutching the baby, all the way to the lobby and outside. At one point, Bailey said, she tried to snatch the infant, but the 21-year-old overpowered her.
Abdur-Raheem then allegedly ran outside and into a minivan on the passenger's side, Bailey said. A male driver had been waiting for him, Bailey said. The grandmother jumped onto the hood of the minivan, but the vehicle managed to shake her off.
Bailey said the grandmother is in her early 50s, and the child's mother, Venetta Benjamin, recently moved out of the East Orange apartment. Venetta Benjamin is a graduate student in her early to mid- 20s. He said much of the tight-knit family is originally from the Caribbean islands.
Bailey said the girlfriend allegedly had a restraining order against Abdur-Raheem and that there was friction before the kidnapping Tuesday night.
“It’s a tragedy for a father to cause this kind of discord,” Bailey said.
Abdur-Raheem told police he then drove south and threw Zara Malani-Lin from the Driscoll Bridge, which spans Raritan River on the Garden State Parkway, as he was driving south, Hoffman said.
Abdur-Raheem drove down to Atlantic County where he went to see an Imam, Jones said. He then drove to Camden County, where police found him at a Winslow Township home of a family member of Abdur-Raheem four hours after the alleged kidnapping.
The infant girl was last seen wearing only green pajamas, authorities said.
this video report demonstrates the 6-8 foot snow banks near the toll end of the Driscoll bridge ff to 1:48
The infants grandmother is currently hospitalized.
MORE:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/mother_of_nj_baby_believed_thr.html
Muhsin Raheem, father of the suspect, said his son was a pre-law student at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Atlantic County and was slated to graduate in a few months. He said his son interned a year ago at the Attorney General's Office in DC a year ago.
"He stayed to himself," Raheem said about this son, whom he described as quiet, studious, and at times, a typical young man. He was religious and said his prayers regularly.
Rageem said that his son visited two mosques Tuesday evening before he was arrested. They were Masjid Muhammad on Albany Avenue in Atlantic City and Masjid un-Nur in Camden County.
Raheem said he is holding out hope for his granddaughter.
"I hope miracles can happen," Raheem said.
15 comments:
ABC News Video covers this story link
". . .East Orange, NJ – Authorities allege that late Tuesday afternoon, Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem, 21, disappeared with his 3-month-old daughter, Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem, after punching the child’s elderly grandmother in the face and snatching her from the woman’s arms. He then placed the infant, dressed only in pajamas, into a red mini-van and sped away. Later that evening, when police caught up with Raheem, Zara was nowhere to be found. During questioning, Raheem told investigators that after running off with the child, he wrapped her in a sleeping bag and threw her off the Driscoll Bridge and into the Raritan River. A search was immediately launched along the Raritan River and its banks. Though Raheem is the child’s biological father, he did not have custodial rights. At this time, the motive behind the abduction is unknown. "
MyFoxPhilly video report
Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem is a 2006 Graduate of Atlantic City High School, and was a senior criminal justice major at Richard Stockton State College and interned with the NJ Attorney Generals office and was planning to become a lawyer. He was driving his mother's minivan.
Note there is not one word about the infant's mother.
*****
I have some familiarity with that bridge and have difficulty believing this occured as the father stated. The Driscoll bridge (image) is a VERY BUSY, NARROW and STEEP 15 lane bridge (the widest bridge in the world). It is neither convenient or safe to stop anywhere on this bridge on the best of days - - now consider yesterday's snowy/wet/slippery weather conditions in that area.
This is just horrific!
Here's a better image of this bridge while under construction link
He had an accomplice?
NJ Star Ledger 10 minutes ago (includes photos of infant and bridge)
EAST ORANGE — A 21-year-old Atlantic County man who is accused of throwing his 3-month-old daughter from the Garden State Parkway's Driscoll Bridge into the Raritan River Tuesday night apparently had an accomplice drive him off after kidnapping the infant from her grandmother's apartment, a witness said today.
Chris Bailey, the superintendent of the East Orange apartment building the child's grandmother lived in, said he found the grandmother right after the kidnapping and she described her desperate attempts to stop the abduction.
Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem, of Galloway Township, who does not have custody rights for his daughter, is accused of abducting Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem Tuesday from her grandmother in East Orange after an argument, authorities said.
Rescue crews were out all night and continued to search the river this morning, said Stephen Jones, spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police. Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem is charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon by East Orange police.
State Police spokesman Sgt. Julian Castellanos said the suspect was in custody in East Orange. Police continue to search the river today even though they had no independent eyewitness to the baby being thrown into the river. Bailey said he saw Abdur-Raheem walk into the building at about 1 p.m. talking on his cellphone. The baby's grandmother, whose last name is Benjamin, told Bailey that the suspect then barged into the apartment and took the baby.
"He pushed his way in and knocked her to the floor," Bailey said according to Benjamin.
The grandmother, wearing a t-shirt, sweatpants and no shoes, ran after Abdur-Raheem, who was clutching the baby, all the way to the lobby and outside. At one point, Bailey said, she tried to snatch the infant, but the 21-year-old overpowered her.
Abdur-Raheem then allegedly ran outside and into a minivan on the passenger's side, Bailey said. A male driver had been waiting for him, Bailey said. The grandmother jumped onto the hood of the minivan, but the vehicle managed to shake her off.
Bailey said the grandmother is in her early 50s, and the child's mother, Venetta Benjamin, recently moved out of the East Orange apartment. Venetta Benjamin is a graduate student in her early to mid- 20s. He said much of the tight-knit family is originally from the Caribbean islands.
Bailey said the girlfriend allegedly had a restraining order against Abdur-Raheem and that there was friction before the kidnapping Tuesday night.
“It’s a tragedy for a father to cause this kind of discord,” Bailey said.
Abdur-Raheem told police he then drove south and threw Zara Malani-Lin from the Driscoll Bridge, which spans Raritan River on the Garden State Parkway, as he was driving south, Hoffman said.
Abdur-Raheem drove down to Atlantic County where he went to see an Imam, Jones said. He then drove to Camden County, where police found him at a Winslow Township home of a family member of Abdur-Raheem four hours after the alleged kidnapping.
The infant girl was last seen wearing only green pajamas, authorities said.
RRA - you did not jump to conclusions based on his name, look at the last comment . . .this piece of shit baby daddy admits he went to see his imam after allegedly dumping his 3 month old daughter into the frozen Raritan river.
this video report demonstrates the 6-8 foot snow banks near the toll end of the Driscoll bridge ff to 1:48
The infants grandmother is currently hospitalized.
Philly.com photo of infant's mother
None of the reports are revealing the accomplices identity - only that the driver of the paternal grandmother's van which hit the maternal grandmother was male.
The male accomplice, no eyewitness reports from the bridge, plus Abdur-Raheem's visit to the imam at least leave open the hope that this child is alive somewhere and Raheem is using the bridge story to cover the kidnapping at least until he thinks the child is out of reach of the (non-Sharia) law. (Would a Muslim father go to this trouble to kidnap a daughter rather than a son?)
RRA - exactly. So why isn't the msm identifying the accomplice or the imam? Ibloga readers are very familiar with the closed cirlce this culture forms when one of their own breaks the law.
MSM silence on identities actually aids and abets this kidnapping.
Name the driver of the van, the owner of the van (infant's maternal grandparents). . .does the bridge have cameras? Post the video. Does the van show up on any of the Driscoll bridge toll booth videos during the time frame?
Are the authorities checking the cell phone records of the infants father, accomplice, mother?
I do hope this infant is alive - and found safe.
bad news . . .bridge video is live feed only
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/nj_baby_kidnapping_case_unlike.html
MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- As investigators continue to probe a New Jersey father's claim that he threw his infant daughter from the Garden State Parkway's Driscoll Bridge, transportation officials said cameras focused on the span do not record footage that could be reviewed.
Joe Orlando, spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said the cameras provide real-time feeds of traffic, but none of the 150 cameras on the Parkway and Garden State Parkway are equipped to make recordings.
Additional updates with 24 minute video press conference here:
Press of Atlantic City
quote: “The little girl’s mother, Venetta Benjamin, sat in court with family members beside her, but refused to speak with reporters. She maintained a calm demeanor while waiting hours for the proceeding to start, but was seen dabbing her eyes at various times. When his image first appeared on the screen, she looked away, shaking her hand in front of her face.”
and
“A woman who identified herself as the child’s paternal grandmother, but who refused to give her name, said after the court proceeding that Abdur-Raheem’s family do not know the whereabouts of the infant.”
[maternal grandmother's name is Leno Benjamin, 60] and
“After Abdur-Raheem allegedly threatened to harm Benjamin the prior weekend, Benjamin had issued a restraining order against him Tuesday. He had not received the order by the time he got to Benjamin’s mother’s house in East Orange.”
[restraining order filed at 8:30 am] and
“Abdur-Raheem apparently held a leadership position in the Muslim Student Association at Stockton, where he was studying criminal justice. Fellow majors surveyed in between classes last night said they did not know him.”
and
“He also secured an internship with the federal Office of the Attorney General’s Juvenile Division in Washington, D.C., last summer, but was fired within a month because he was frequently absent and unproductive.”
and
“Abdur-Raheem apparently lashed out at the staffer who terminated him and had to be escorted out by security, according to personnel there.”
video 1 from NBC Philadelphia includes interview of paternal grandfather, mosque spokesman, and visuals of maternal grandmother’s apt. complex where kidnapping & assault took place, the GSP Driscoll Bridge, Masjid Muhammad’s Islamic Ctr. in Atlantic City, & the paternal grandfathers house.
video 2 MyFoxPhilly report shows Shamshid-din’s mother (paternal grandmother of Zara) coldly discussing her sons confession.
With the lapse of time between the kidnapping and the police being notified, and considering the paternal grandparents rather cold interviews, it appears there is a window of opportunity for Shamshid-din to have handed off Zara to someone else. Note also the involvement of the other mosque, Masjid un-Nur Shamsid-din the first mosque visited in Camden County (mosque identified by the suspects own father - a detail which appears to have been scrubbed from the NJ.com site)and an accomplice who was witnessed to be driving the getaway van are no longer in msm reports. Note also, that neither mosque called to report the incident to police. Shamsid-din's father called the police.
After all this, Shamsid-din plead 'not guilty' via video cam today.
The infant Zara remains missing.
Shamsid-din Abdur-raheem on suicide watch
The authorities are protecting this monster.
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