By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com
Ibrahm Elhahlil Bouaichi, the suspect in the July 29 murder of Karla Elizabeth Dominguez Gonzalez, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Saturday.
At around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, APD officers involved in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s regional Violent Crimes Task Force located Bouaichi in Maryland and initiated a vehicle pursuit that ended when Bouaichi’s car crashed in Prince George’s County, according to a news release.
Officers found Bouaichi with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and transported him to a hospital where he received medical treatment until his death on Saturday.
Bouaichi was previously arrested and indicted for rape charges against Gonzalez in October 2019. Gonzelez testified against Bouaichi in Alexandria District Court in December 2019.
While awaiting trial in jail, Bouaichi was released on bond by Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins on April 9, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Bouaichi’s lawyers argued he should be released because of unsafe jail conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to court records.
Dawkins ordered Bouaichi to remain in his home in Greenbelt, Maryland and did not order electronic monitoring, according to the Washington Post. Bouaichi was awaiting his trial, which had been delayed several months, when he allegedly murdered Gonzalez.
The details of Bouaichi’s release have resulted in outrage online, as residents and local officials have called for changes in the justice system and answers from those involved in the case.
“The system failed Karla Dominguez,” Mayor Justin Wilson said in a tweet on Aug. 7. “As we turn a critical eye to the criminal justice system, policymakers at the Federal, state and local level must make changes to laws, procedures and practices that can fail to protect victims like Ms. Dominguez.”
