'Held cyanide over her mouth': Man snuck into estranged wife's house to poison her while their kids were at school after she demanded a divorce, prosecutors say

A antheral successful New York state is down bars for fatally poisoning his estranged woman with cyanide, Empire State instrumentality enforcement officials say.

Asif Qureshi, 53, stands accused of 1 number of murder and 2 counts of burglary for allegedly sidesplitting Aleena Asif, 46, according to the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.

The underlying incidental occurred Oct. 17, 2025, astatine a location connected Larch Drive successful Herricks, a small, census-designated spot successful Long Island located conscionable a fewer miles eastbound of the New York City borough of Queens.

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A fewer minutes earlier 8 a.m. connected the time successful question, Asif near with her 14-year-old lad and 7-year-old girl to driblet them disconnected astatine school. Moments later, Qureshi allegedly snuck successful by unlocking the beforehand doorway wearing a acheronian hooded jacket, shot cap, achromatic gloves and a mask, according to a press release issued by the DA's office. The suspect is besides said to person been holding a reddish and achromatic tote bag.

Then, the slayer allegedly hid portion his woman returned and prepared their youngest girl for school, authorities said. The unfortunate and the kid near astir 8:50 a.m. and Asif returned unsocial astatine astir 9 a.m.

She would ne'er again permission the house.

At astir 10:50 a.m., Qureshi near the location wearing the aforesaid outfit and carrying the aforesaid tote bag, on with a ample achromatic duffle bag, according to the DA's office. Then, adjacent the intersection of Marcus Avenue and Denton Avenue, the suspect allegedly got onto an electrical scooter which had been locked to a telephone rod and drove down Hillside Avenue toward the Queens vicinity of Bellerose.

All the while, Asif's eldest girl had been taking classes astatine assemblage – having near the location astir 7 a.m. that day. She yet received a telephone telephone from her younger sister's schoolhouse alerting her that their parent ne'er came to prime the small miss up aft schoolhouse ended.

Then, the teen called police, who arrived astatine the location to find the beforehand doorway locked. After gaining entry, officers recovered Asif deceased successful her bedroom, lying face-up successful bed, with reddish burns astir her mouth, according to the DA's office.

The autopsy conducted by the Nassau County Medical Examiner's Office determined the unfortunate died from asphyxiation owed to inhalation of a chemic agent. That cause was aboriginal determined to beryllium cyanide.

Investigators yet linked the suspect to the execution by mode of surveillance footage from a adjacent 7-Eleven and autobus halt successful Queens, according to instrumentality enforcement. Qureshi was allegedly wearing the aforesaid apparel but unmasked — earlier and aft the incident.

Additionally, surveillance footage from a week earlier the execution appeared to amusement the hubby casing the residence.

"Video grounds captured connected October 10, 2025, besides allegedly captured the defendant, dressed successful the aforesaid clothing, locking the electrical scooter utilized to fly the country a week aboriginal to the aforesaid rod adjacent Marcus and Denton Avenues," the DA's property merchandise reads. "On that day, the suspect allegedly walked up to the home, circled the house, and left. The suspect is again captured connected video astatine a 7-Eleven on the way to the location with his disguise down."

Police executed a hunt warrant astatine Qureshi's residence and discovered achromatic latex gloves "similar to those seen successful video surveillance" and "bags accordant with the reddish and achromatic tote bag" the suspect allegedly carried the time of the murder, authorities said.

The suspect is alleged to person stalked his estranged woman for months aft she demanded a divorce, constabulary told Manhattan-based ABC flagship tv presumption WABC.

"Aleena Asif brought her children to schoolhouse connected October 17th, 2025, unaware of the information lurking wrong of her ain location and her estranged hubby hiding successful the shadows," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said successful a statement. "Asif Qureshi allegedly snuck into the location during schoolhouse drop-off, lying successful wait, until his woman returned home. When helium had her alone, helium allegedly held cyanide implicit her mouth, killed her, and near her assemblage for their children to gruesomely discover. A location should beryllium a spot of sanctuary, but this suspect turned it into a location of horrors."

The suspect was arrested connected Oct. 23, 2025, and helium was arraigned connected Thursday, wherever helium entered a plea of not guilty.

Qureshi is being detained successful the Nassau County Correctional Center without bond. He is adjacent slated to look successful tribunal connected Feb. 18.