Man who failed to register with Homeland Security suspected of killing rehab patient
An unprovoked daylight stabbing attack outside a Fresno rehab center that left a man dead was allegedly caused by a suspect with a violent past and who had failed to report to the Department of Homeland Security, police said Thursday.
Zyad Abdulaziz Alsaid, 57, was identified as the suspect in a stabbing outside Turning Point on Blackstone Avenue on June 14. He was tracked down by detectives after a business owner who had seen news of the incident found a knife at a nearby trailer.
At a news conference where to announce the arrest, Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer said Abdulaziz lived at a boarding house where the victim, 32-year-old Matthew Chavez, also lived. They were not roommates, the chief added.
The home is two blocks from where Chavez was violently stabbed and left bleeding profusely. Abdulaziz allegedly stabbed Chavez several times in the torso and neck. The attack ruptured an artery, which caused significant bleeding, Dyer said.
Chavez died at Community Regional Medical Center soon after.
The attack was caught on camera from a nearby business, apparently showing Abdulaziz near the Turning Point rehabilitation center. Abdulaziz reportedly told detectives he was not in the area at the time. He made no further comments before he was arrested, Dyer said.
Detectives claim there is substantial evidence to show Abdulaziz is the suspect in the killing. Dyer said Department of Homeland Security officials arrived with police and detectives at the home where Abdulaziz stayed in order to question him.
It’s unclear what Abdulaziz’s immigration status is. Homeland Security officials placed an ankle monitor on him as a precaution, according to Dyer. The suspect had no restrictions, other than reportedly having to report to DHS, before the alleged killing.
“For us, it doesn’t really matter what his immigration status was — he committed a murder in our city,” Dyer said. “He’s a criminal.”
But Dyer said it is concerning that Abdulaziz has “such an extensive violent history.”
Abdulaziz, who is from Palestine, had failed to continue his routine of reporting to Homeland Security, and Dyer said federal officials were taking a close look at his status. Abdulaziz has been in the United States for about 45 years, according to Dyer.
Abdulaziz has spent at least 10 years in prison for other crimes and has a criminal history that spans 30 years, the chief added.
Abdulaziz was shown on a TV screen with a shaved head and face during the news conference. Dyer said Abdulaziz had changed his appearance since the day of the stabbing.
This story was originally published June 20, 2019 at 4:16 PM.
