July 08, 2007

Relative arrested in stabbing death of Crystal woman

TV Report http://wcco.com/video/?id=28812
The person of interest is now the sole suspect in a Crystal woman's stabbing.

Last update: July 08, 2007 – 12:04 PM

A relative of the Crystal woman slain in her home Saturday is in jail as the sole suspect in her death, Crystal police said today.

Police initially characterized him as a person of interest but are now saying he acted alone in killing Rahina Mohamed, 45, a well-known leader in the Oromo community.

The 21-year-old man brought a "large kitchen knife" to Mohamed's house, said Capt. Dave Oyaas. The suspect discarded the weapon near Medicine Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue in New Hope, police said.

Mohamed's husband found her dead of stab wounds at 12:44 a.m. in their home in the 6600 block of 37th Avenue N.

The suspect was detained by Golden Valley police about 5:20 p.m. that day at a gas station after someone called to say he was acting irrationally.

Mohamed grew up in Ethiopia and came to the United States in 1982 with her husband. They were among the first from Oromia, a region in Ethiopia, to settle in Minnesota. She earned a reputation for helping local Oromo immigrants, who turned out by the hundreds at her sister's home Saturday. Mohamed worked as a cashier in a downtown Minneapolis parking ramp.

It was the first homicide in Crystal in more than a decade.

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391 • cxiong@startribune.com

Star Tribune

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