What to Know
- Man accused of randomly gunning down a mother as she drove in NJ allegedly had a female passenger in his car, prosecutors revealed Friday
- Kader Mustafa, 36, is charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons crimes in the May 3 shooting death of 24-year-old Sciasia Calhoun
- On Friday, a judge also ordered Mustafa to remain in custody until the start of his trial
The man accused of randomly gunning down a mother as she drove on a New Jersey highway earlier this month allegedly had a female passenger in the car when he opened fire, prosecutors revealed Friday.
Kader Mustafa, 36, who is charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons crimes in the May 3 shooting death of 24-year-old Sciasia Calhoun in Freehold, was allegedly not alone when the random shooting took place, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
Authorities say that Calhoun's boyfriend, who was a passenger in her car, heard the shot and saw her suddenly slumped over his lap, bleeding from her wound. He called 911 and identified the car from where the shots were allegedly fired. Eight hours later Manalapan police spotted the car and made the arrest.
According to prosecutors, Mustafa’s female passenger was still in the car at that time. Her identity and connection to him remain unclear.
On Friday, a judge also ordered Mustafa detained until the start of his trial. It wasn't immediately clear if his attorney spoke at the hearing.
Authorities are looking into whether Mustafa is connected to two other shooting that ocurred in New Jersey. The ballistic testing results from two other random shootings into cars in Monmouth County that occurred a week prior to Calhoun’s death have not been announced. No one was hit in those two shootings.
According to authorities, Mustafa had been discharged from Monmouth Mental Center after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed mental issue prior to the shooting.
Local
He faces a minimum of 30 years if convicted of first degree murder charge.
