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Murder shocked New Jersey in February

The Galloway Township man who threw his infant daughter from the Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway in February was indicted Monday by a state grand jury on charges of murder, kidnapping, attempted murder and other crimes, Attorney General Paula T. Dow announced.

The state Division of Criminal Justice obtained a six-count indictment charging Shamsiddin Abdur-Raheem, 22, with first degree murder, first degree kidnapping, second degree endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of second degree aggravated assault and first degree attempted murder.

"This indictment of Mr. Abdur-Raheem for the alleged murder of his infant daughter represents important progress in our quest for justice for Baby Zara," Dow said. "This is a heartbreaking case of domestic violence."

"Investigators diligently pursued the evidence in this case, which corroborated initial reports that the defendant threw the baby from the bridge," state Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor said.. "That evidence has been presented to a state grand jury, resulting in these very serious charges for which Mr. Abdur-Raheem now faces trial."

The state alleges Abdur-Raheem killed his 3-month-old daughter, Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem by causing her to fall from the bridge in Woodbridge into the Raritan River on the afternoon of Feb. 16. He allegedly pushed or threw her from the front passenger window of his Dodge Caravan, which was parked on the southbound shoulder of the parkway.

The baby fell an estimated 140 feet from the bridge.

Abdur-Raheem is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault for allegedly attacking the baby's maternal grandmother and striking her with his vehicle while abducting the infant from her apartment in East Orange before the baby was thrown from the bridge.

The infant's mother had custody of the child and obtained a restraining order against Abdur-Raheem that same day. The infant was in the care of the 60-year-old grandmother when, at approximately 4 p.m., Abdur-Raheem allegedly entered the grandmother's apartment. As the grandmother attempted to hold onto the baby, Abdur-Raheem allegedly struck the grandmother in the head and face, choked her, and banged her head against the floor.

Abdur-Raheem allegedly took the infant girl, but the grandmother followed him outside and got in front of his vehicle in an attempt to stop him. Abdur-Raheem allegedly struck the grandmother with the Dodge Caravan and drove away with the baby. The attempted murder charge relates to the alleged attack on the grandmother inside the apartment as well as the alleged act of striking her with the vehicle.

Abdur-Raheem was arrested that night at a family member's home in Winslow Township after the family member called police shortly after 8 p.m. to report that Abdur-Raheem was at the house. Police received information at that time that Abdur-Raheem allegedly threw the infant from the bridge, and the State Police immediately commenced an intensive search.

Before his arrest, Abdur-Raheem had gone to see his imam, his Islamic religious leader, in Atlantic City, and the imam drove him to the home of the relative who called police.

The infant's body remained missing until April 24, when it was found by people walking on the south bank of the Raritan River, just east of the Route 35 Victory Bridge. DNA tests confirmed that it was Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem.

Shamsiddin Abdur-Raheem is being held in the Essex County Jail with bail set at $2 million.

Deputy Attorneys General Andrew C. Fried and Paul Salvatoriello are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the State Police, Division of Criminal Justice, and the East Orange and Winslow police, and the Essex and Middlesex counties' prosecutor offices, State Police Detectives Harry McDermott and Timothy P. Coyle and East Orange Det. Kevin Coleman are assigned to the case.

A first-degree murder charge carries a sentence of 30 years to life in state prison. The kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, and the attempted murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Second-degree charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

The indictment was handed up to state Superior Court Judge Pedro J. Jimenenz Jr. in Trenton, who assigned the case to Middlesex County.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM