The elderly Michigan homeowner who was allegedly murdered by two men posing as utility workers has been pictured in heartfelt tributes from his family.
Hussein Murray, 72, of Rochester Hills - roughly 25 miles outside of Detroit - was found dead in his basement while his unidentified wife, also 72, was duct-taped on Friday.
One of the suspects, Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, of Dearborn, was arrested on Saturday after authorities located him on Interstate 49 at LA Hwy 169 in Louisiana, police said.
Hernandez was apprehended without incident and taken to the Caddo Correctional Center. He has been charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, according to the Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The second suspect is still at large as authorities have asked the public to help them identify him.
Murrays wife was briefly hospitalized following the horrific incident and has since been released, according to the sheriffs office.
Hussein Murray, 72, of Rochester Hills, was found dead in his basement, while his unidentified wife, also 72, was duct-taped on Friday after two men posing as utility workers entered their home
One of the suspects, Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, of Dearborn, was arrested on Saturday after authorities located him on Interstate 49 at LA Hwy 169 in Louisiana, police said
Chilling video captured the moment Hernandez and his accomplice approached the couples front door, claiming to be Detroit Edison Energy Company (DTE) employees.
Were DTE, Hernandez said, wearing a long white t-shirt, a face mask, and a reflective yellow vest. Were checking for gas leaks, he continued, before flashing a clipboard with a piece of paper on it.
Another man, wearing the same outfit, was seen keeping watch from the front entrance around 8pm.
The suspects tried to approach the couple on Thursday about the alleged gas leak, but Murray didnt allow him inside, the Oakland County Prosecuting Attorneys Office said.
When Hernandez and the other man returned on Friday, Murray signed a piece of paper purportedly from DTE and escorted the defendant to the basement, according to the prosecutors office.
Once inside the upscale home, the suspects made their way upstairs and asked Murrays wife where the money and jewelry were, before duct-taping her ankles, wrists and mouth and taking her phone, authorities revealed.
The suspects tried to approach the couple on Thursday about the alleged gas leak, but Murray didnt allow him inside until Friday
Hernandez and his partner in crime then fled the home in a truck with a DTE sign on it.
Murrays wife managed to call 911 and told officials that she thought her husband might have been kidnapped, according to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office.
After officials arrived at the scene, they found Murrays deceased body in the basement, with his ankles and wrists also duct-taped, the prosecuting attorneys office said.
It is unclear if Murray, a business owner in Wayne County, was shot or bludgeoned to death because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, the sheriffs office added. His death was ruled a homicide on Saturday.
This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home. I have authorized the highest charge which carries a mandatory life without parole sentence for this brutal crime, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said.
My office will work diligently to ensure that this individual is held accountable and that the public is safe from violent predators.
It is unclear if the vicious attack was planned or random and if the suspects took items from the home. DailyMail.com contacted the Oakland County Sheriffs Office and the Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office for comment.
Chilling video captured the moment Hernandez and his accomplice approached the couples front door, claiming to be employees with the Detroit Edison Energy Company (DTE)
While officials try to hunt down the other suspect, Hernandez is currently being help in the Caddo Correctional Center, jail records revealed.
A spokesperson with the Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office told CNN that if Hernandez waives his right to an extradition hearing, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office will take him back to Michigan.
Following the tragic incident, DTE Energy released a statement alerting people of impersonators and provided customers with ways to determine if they are interacting with someone employed by the company.
Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice, the Detroit- based company said.
If anyone arrives at your home or business claiming they are from DTE, please ask to see a badge with a photo ID.
If the person refuses to show their badge, do not allow them entry into your home. If the person becomes agitated or acts in a strange manner, call 911 immediately.
Heartbroken family members took to Facebook to pay their respects to Murray following his terrifying death.
Murrays one grandson, Hussein (pictured), who shares a name with his grandfather, has remembered him as selfless and compassionate
They didn’t deserve this. It’s just not fair. I can’t believe they would do this. I’m so broken right now, his other grandchild, Tarek Murray said on Facebook
My grandfather, Hussein Murray, was murdered in a home invasion/robbery earlier today. My grandmother was beaten, but she is currently in stable condition and safe, Tarek Murray, their grandson said on Facebook.
They didn’t deserve this. It’s just not fair. I can’t believe they would do this. I’m so broken right now. Please keep my family in your thoughts during this unbelievably difficult time.
Murrays other grandson, Hussein, who shares a name with his grandfather, has remembered him as selfless and compassionate.
A man who spread so much warmth and joy to everyone in his family, and someone whose smile could make you feel like the world was yours.
The car rides he took me on, the days he let me pretend I was a worker in his store as a child, and the memories of his upbringing in Lebanon he’d share with me when we’d have breakfast together are things I’ve held onto and things I will continue to hold onto for the rest of my life, Hussein said.
I am so proud to have been your grandson, and may Allah grant you the most beautiful garden in Jannah, he added.