Update: Yesterday, we told you about the grief felt by friends, family and loved ones of murder victim Isaiah Roquemore and the ongoing manhunt for Najib Mahamoud, the man suspected of killing him; see our previous coverage below.
We've now learned that Mahamoud had been arrested and charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and more in relation to a November 2014 incident.
So why was he on the streets at the time of Roquemore's death?
He'd been freed after several months behind bars when he was able to make bond, which had been cut in half.
And then, the charges against him were dropped owing to a strange technicality: The victim of the crime he was accused of committing couldn't be found.
The previous incident is detailed in a December 2014 piece from KTRE-TV, an ABC affiliate serving Lufkin and Nacogdoches, New Mexico. KTRE covered the story, which took place in the Denver area, because three people involved in the event — Ahmad Ahmad, Ali Mohamed and Abdullahi Ali — all had roots in Nacogdoches.
On November 26 of last year at the Medical Center of Aurora, according to an arrest affidavit cited by the station, a Denver police officer spoke with Ahmad. He's quoted as telling the law enforcer that he and a couple of acquaintances were victims of an assault, with one member requiring surgery for multiple stab wounds.
What happened? Ahmad claimed he'd gotten a ride with two other men the previous night — but when the trio stopped at a Conoco gas station, they were attacked by a "group of unknown men." He added that he'd lost consciousness after being crowned by either a bottle or a crowbar.
When he awakened, he went on, he was being driven to the hospital by someone he referred to as a friend, although he only knew him as "Naj," the station reports.
Naj — identified as Najib Mahamoud — was later contacted by police, but he wasn't especially cooperative. He also had several cuts on his hands, which he said he suffered trying to help his friend.
The story took a turn when the stabbing victim was able to tell his side. He told investigators he'd been at his cousin's house with Naj, Ahmad and a third man when they decided to take a drive to find some marijuana.
Along the way, an argument ensued, the affidavit maintains, with the third man trying to punch the victim and Mahamoud following up by stabbing him with a pocketknife.
There were seventeen wounds in total, including to the head, back, chest, stomach and leg, plus defensive injuries to his arms and hands.
The stabbing victim was stumbling away when Najib and the third man grabbed him with the idea of finishing him off, the documents state. However, the victim was able to convince the third man to take him to a hospital instead.
Turns out Ahmad was wanted for multiple charges out of Minnesota, including assault theft, burglary and much more. He was subsequently busted.
So, too, were Mohamed and Ali, on suspicion of hindering the arrest or prosecution of a felon.
And Mahamoud? Denver District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough tells us that on December 2, "he was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, kidnapping and crime of violence, which is a sentence enhancer."
Mahamoud was initially held on a bond of $100,000, but it was eventually lowered to $50,000, a more accessible amount for him. He posted the lower amount and was freed in May 2015.
Then, on July 2, the charges against Mahamoud were dismissed.
Why?
"We were not able to locate the victim for trial despite our best attempts," Kimbrough notes. "We don't always have to have the victim to prove a case, but this was a case in which we did need the victim to prove the charges."
That left one allegation against Mahamoud; he allegedly violated the conditions of his bond after being cut loose. The case is still pending — but it pales in comparison to the murder of Roquemore, for which he continues to be sought.
Continue for our previous coverage.
Original post, 7:33 a.m. October 20: The Denver coroner's office has identified a man killed on Thursday evening, October 15, at the Spyglass Hill Apartments, 7100 E. Mississippi Avenue, as Isaiah Roquemore, 28.
Roquemore was one of two people injured in the shooting at the apartment complex.
The cause of death was a shotgun wound.
The Denver Police Department continues to look for a suspect in the case: Najib Abdinasir Mahamoud.
He remains at large as of this writing. The DPD warns that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
The incident took place at approximately 7:30 p.m. on the 15th.
Around that time, the DPD reportedly got calls about two people who'd been shot on the second floor of Building 24 in the Spyglass complex.
The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital.
By the following morning, one of the two had died. He was later ID'd as Roquemore.
Shortly thereafter, Roquemore's loved ones began sharing their grief on social media.
The post accompanying the collage above reads:
WE MET IN 1996! GREW UP TOGETHER! 19 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP! WE HAD OUR UPs AND DOWNS! SMILES AND FROWNS! I'VE SEEN YOUR MOST HAPPIEST AND VULNERABLE MOMENTS! YOU WOULD ALWAYS SAY "CUZZ" YOU'RE MY "CEST FRIEND" LOL! SEEMS LIKE I COULDA DONE MORE! SAID MORE DURING YOUR HARD TIMES! SMH! I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE PASS IN MY LIFE! BUT THIS IS BY FAR THE CLOSEST! I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ISAIAH ROQUEMORE FOR YOUR PRESENCE! 'CAUSE NOT ONLY WAS YOUR TIME WELL SPENT WITH US! IT WAS SPLENDID! I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO MISS YOU! R.I.P. Zay Zilla I LOVE YOUThe item shared along with another photo collage strikes similar notes.
It reads:
My heart's hurting right now . We had our ups and downs but dammit it wasn't suppose to be this way! My heart is truly broken knowing I'm never going to see you or hear that laugh again. RIP ZAY Bear I'll always love you from the bottom of my heart. You'll be forever missedThis morning, a DPD representative confirmed that Mahamoud has yet to be taken into custody — a fact that no doubt adds to the heartache of those Roquemore left behind.
If you have any information about Mahamoud's whereabouts, you're encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 (STOP).
Our sincere condolences to the friends, family and loved ones of Isaiah Roquemore.
Look below to see a recent booking photo of the suspect, followed by a 7News piece broadcast in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
