Pakistani man kills estranged Indian-origin wife with cyanide-like powder in New York as she was seeking divorce

Aleena Asif, an Indian-origin woman, was killed by her estranged husband, Asif Qureshi, in Long Island over their ongoing marital dispute. Asif Qureshi was arraigned in a Long Island courtroom Friday, a week after Aleena Asif's body was found asphyxiated with chemical burns to the face at her home in Herricks. Aleena and Qureshi were parents to three children. While Aleena is originally from Mumbai, Qureshi is from Pakistan but a US citizen.

CCTV video shows Qureshi hiding and waiting to attack Aleena

Nassau County Police nabbed the husband after he was seen sneaking into the wife's home wearing a mask, hoodie and gloves, hiding and waiting for his wife to return from walking their seven-year-old child to school. As she returned, he attacked her with a chemical mixture, which was a cyanide-like compound. Then Qureshi got away on an e-bike and fled the crime scene.


Aleena's 18-year-old daughter raised an alarm and called 911 when she didn't pick up her 7-year-old sister from school. The medical examiner determined she died of asphyxiation by an unknown chemical substance, police said. The incident was ruled a homicide.

Aleena was stalked, threatened; informed law enforcement

Police said Aleena tried to leave Qureshi and served him with divorce papers. Qureshi did not accept the papers and started stalking her, showing up at her house. Once, he threatened Aleena that he would make her swallow bleach. Aleena, an accountant, called law enforcement four times with safety concerns.

Qureshi pleads not guilty, attorney calls him 'good US citizen'

Qureshi, an unemployed software engineer, pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge. His attorney called him a good US citizen and provider for his family.

According to reports, Qureshi had been arrested before for a 'domestic incident' with Asif, and also had five prior incidents - four with his wife and one with a daughter.