HUSBAND ARRESTED FOR KILLING EL CAJON MOTHER OF NINE CHILDREN

Update:  The suspect's last name as Al Rawi, not Al Wari. The earlier misspelling was provided by El Cajon Police based on a a translation error. Friends of his have voiced shock at his arrest and doubts about the accusations against him, calling him a good father and pillar of the Syrian community locally who has helped other refugees, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery

August 22, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Abdulhannan Abdurazaq Al Rawi is under arrest for allegedly shooting and killing his wife, 37, in the bedroom of their El Cajon home at 1599 Soma Place. The couple's nine children, ages 2 to 17, were in the home at the time, according to Lieutenant Randy Soulard with EL Cajon Police.

Dilkhwaz Ahmed with License to Freedom, an El Cajon social services agency supporting refugees, posted on Facebook tonight “Please pray for these kids who lost their mom today. Out team of therapists and myself stayed with them all day to make sure they have a safe place to go. If you would like to support them, please let me know. They are refugees from Syria.”

El Cajon Police officers and medics from Heartland Fire and Rescue responded to a call reporting the shooting at 5:33 a.m. They found the vicitm with a gunshot wound in the bedroom; she was later pronounced dead at the scene.

“After an extensive investigation, detectives determined the woman was shot by her husband,” says Lieutenant Soulard.. 

Al Rawi, 45, was taken into custody by detectives and booked into San Diego County Jail on a charge of homicide. “Al Wari is not known to have a criminal history,” Lt. Soulard added.

Neighbors told NBC San Diego that they had frequently heard the couple arguing in the past.

The name of the victim in this incident is not being released at this time pending notification of her family by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Child Welfare Services is working to place the children. None of the children were physically harmed when their mother was killed.

The El Cajon Police Department thanks the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance by providing translation in this investigation.

The El Cajon Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding these incidents to call the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477 or on-line at SDCRIMESTOPPERS.ORG.