American Mother Killed In Abu Dhabi Mall, Police in Abu Dhabi are searching for a suspect who killed an American woman in an upscale mall.
Local police say witnesses saw the woman and her killer arguing in a public restroom at the Boutik Mall on Reem Island—a popular expat destination a few miles off the coast of Abu Dhabi island. The 37-year-old victim, identified only as ARB, was reportedly a divorced school teacher.
One restaurant employee told the UAE website the National that she overheard the fight:
I heard one of them threatening the other saying ‘Sit down or I’ll kill you’.”
The restaurant employee said she then heard banging sounds from the stall.
“I heard one of them try to call out for help. By this time there were three of us outside the toilet and one of us ran to get security. When the female security guard arrived they told us to leave the bathroom. I was so scared and frightened for her,” she said.
Although police later recovered the murder weapon, which they described only as a “sharp object,” identifying the assailant may be difficult—she was reportedly wearing a full abaya, niqab and gloves.
In the UAE, convicted murderers are usually punished with death—generally by firing squad—although family members of the deceased are sometimes permitted to pardon the offenders.
Col Rashid Bourscheid, director of CID at Abu Dhabi Police, said the victim’s 11-year-old twins are in the care of community police awaiting their father’s arrival from overseas. The father is the victim’s ex-husband.
Col Bourscheid urged anyone with any information to contact police or the Ministry of Interior on 800 2626.
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#American woman stabbed to death inside #AbuDhabi mall toilet http://t.co/mDJMaknsJ4 pic.twitter.com/fPJerExSMd
— Gulf News (@gulf_news) December 2, 2014
Agencies/Canadajournal