HERNDON, VA (WJLA/CNN) - A northern Virginia man is charged with murder after authorities said he assaulted and killed a Muslim teen near a mosque.
Authorities said the incident has religious implications, but it's not clear if the suspect will face any hate crime charges.
"Very sweet heart. She was very humble. She was very nice. I'm very sad," said Abas Sherif, a friend of the family.
Sadness and grief gripped those who knew Nabra Mohmod Hassanen.
She and a group of friends had left the Adams Center after a late-night Ramadan prayer to grab a bite to eat at McDonald's before their fast.
Police tell us the group had a dispute with a driver, and Nabra was assaulted.
"What the investigators told the father and the mother, he hit her and then he put her in the car, and then he threw her in the water," Sherif said.
Shortly after the incident, police in the area noticed a car driving suspiciously and began a traffic stop. Darwin Martinez Torres was taken into custody as a suspect and later charged with murder.
"She came to do her break, so all her ... what she did, she came here for the month of Ramadan to do her prayer," Sherif said.
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