The US police announced, on Tuesday evening, that they had arrested the "prime suspect" in the murders of 4 Muslims in New Mexico, in crimes that President Joe Biden described as horrific and saddening.
On Twitter, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said police had tracked down the car suspected of being used in the murders and arrested the suspect.
"The driver, who is the main suspect in the murders, has been arrested," he added.
Albuquerque and state authorities have sought to have more police at mosques during prayer times as investigations continue in the city, which has up to 5,000 Muslims out of a total population of 565,000.
The authorities announced Saturday that they were investigating the possibility of a link between the killing of 3 Muslims this year and the killing of a Muslim in November of last year, and on Sunday it launched a call to the public to help it solve the mysterious case.
This came after a body was discovered on August 5 near an office that provides services to refugees.
Albuquerque police said in a statement Saturday that they found the body of a fourth dead person on Friday evening.
Muslims from South Asia
"Investigators believe that this murder may be linked to three recent killings targeting Muslims of South Asian descent," the statement added.
Among these victims are two Pakistanis, one of whom was 27 years old, whose body was found on August 1, and the other, 41, whose body was found on July 26.
Police announced that investigators are looking into whether these murders are linked to the November 7, 2021 killing of an Afghan man in front of a company he runs with his brother in Albuquerque.
This week, police released a photo of a car they say the killer used.
And last Sunday, US President Joe Biden condemned the murders of 4 Muslims in New Mexico and expressed in a tweet his "anger and sadness at the horrific crimes in which 4 Muslim men were killed in Albuquerque."
"Pending the results of the investigation, I pray for the families of the victims, and my administration stands firmly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in the United States."