A man was arrested after a Texas Muslim doctor was fatally stabbed while she was sitting outside of her apartment in broad daylight.
Miles Fridrich, 24, was arrested a little after 12:30 p.m. on a first-degree murder charge after a brief foot chase with law enforcement officials, according to NBC News. Witnesses in the area rushed to assist Dr. Talat Jehan Khan, 52, a Pakistani American and Muslim who had worked at Texas Children’s Pediatrics in Conroe.
“So far, it’s appearing that this is completely random,” Sgt. David Dickinson with the Conroe Police Department told the outlet, noting that they did not have evidence that the stabbing had been racially or ethnically motivated.
Dickinson added that officers from the police department were going through Fridrich’s social media accounts and his computers after obtaining warrants.
Texas doctor stabbed to death in broad daylight at picnic table outside her home https://t.co/ogBK0HO03T
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 30, 2023
Law enforcement officials were reportedly confused as to how Fridrich was able to get into Khan’s gated community. Dickinson explained that in many cases, criminals either follow someone into the gate or the gates don’t work.
Khan had moved to Conroe in July from Seattle, Washington, looking forward to more sunshine. She leaves behind her 14-year-old daughter and 23-year-old son, according to KPRC.
“Her kids and her kids she looked after as a pediatrician were her entire life,” Khan’s brother, Wajahat Nyaz told the outlet. “Everything in her life revolved around those two things.”
Fridrich is currently being held at the Montgomery County Jail and has a bond set at $500,000, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement officials noted that Fridrich reportedly has a criminal record, with traffic violations, drugs, and unlawfully carrying a firearm.
“This loss is just unimaginable for us,” Nyaz said. “We are not able to understand this or make sense out of it. A murder like this should not go unpunished.”
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and 32 Americans. In response to the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas.
Joseph Czuba, 71, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of a hate crime, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after a 6-year-old boy from Illinois, Wadea Al-Fayoume was fatally stabbed 26 times and his mother was left seriously injured, according to ABC News.
Reports of anti-semitic activity and crime have also increased globally since the October 7 attacks. IJR reached out to the Conroe Police Department and to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office for a comment.