CHICAGO: An Arab American man accused of murdering his two teenage daughters more than 12 years ago in Texas has been captured, the FBI announced on Thursday.
Yaser Abdel Said, was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday in Justin, a small town 36 miles northwest of Dallas, by agents from the bureau’s Dallas Field Office. He had been on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list since Dec. 4, 2014.
“The FBI-led Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force has worked tirelessly to find Yaser Abdel Said,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “These experienced investigators never gave up on their quest to find him and pledged to never forget the young victims in this case.
“Said was placed on the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List nearly six years ago for the heinous act he committed against his daughters. His capture and arrest bring us one step closer to justice for Amina and Sarah. We want to thank our partners at the Irving Police Department for working with us to apprehend this dangerous individual.”
According to police, Dallas-area taxicab driver Said, an Egyptian American immigrant from the Sinai Peninsula, told Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17, that he was taking them out for something to eat on Jan. 1, 2008. He drove them to Irving, Texas, where their bodies were discovered in a taxicab outside a motel. Both had been shot several times.
The Irving Police Department issued a warrant for Said’s arrest on Jan. 2, 2008, and a federal unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant was issued on Aug. 21 that year.
“Even after 12 years of frustration and dead ends, the pursuit for their killer never ceased,” said Irving Chief of Police Jeff Spivey, “Today’s arrest of their father … brings us closer to ensuring justice is served on their behalf.”
Said was the 504th person added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list since it was established in March 1950. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his arrest. It was not immediately known whether an informant had claimed the reward.
The Violent Crimes Task Force includes FBI special agents, officers from a number of local police departments, and representatives of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
