NAIROBI, Kenya – A 20-year-old American murder suspect, Salman Haji, has been arrested in Kenya and deported to the United States after more than a year on the run, U.S. and Kenyan officials have confirmed.
Haji, who fled the U.S. following a violent crime spree in January 2024, was captured in Kenya through a coordinated international manhunt involving the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kenyan authorities, and law enforcement agencies in Washington state.
He was flown back to the U.S. and booked into King County Jail in Seattle on Saturday.
Prosecutors have labeled him a high flight risk and successfully secured a $5 million (approximately Ksh.645 million) bail.
Deadly Crime Spree in Washington
According to investigators, Haji’s alleged crime spree began on January 26, 2024, in Des Moines, Washington.
Authorities say he staged a minor traffic crash to carjack a woman’s white Porsche, at gunpoint. He allegedly took her vehicle and bank cards before fleeing the scene.
Security footage later placed him and an alleged accomplice, Ilyiss Abdi, at a grocery store in Normandy Park, where they reportedly attempted to use the stolen cards.
Just an hour later, the pair were seen at a Tukwila Costco. During a failed handbag snatching attempt, Haji allegedly shot and killed a 67-year-old woman who tried to intervene.
The stolen Porsche was found abandoned in SeaTac shortly after, but by then, Haji had already fled the country.
“He fled the country shortly after that incident,” said Douglas Wagoner, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “His arrest was the result of close coordination between the Tukwila Police Department, the FBI, and the Kenyan government, who provided crucial support in apprehending him.”
Legal Proceedings Begin in U.S.
Haji is now facing multiple felony charges, including robbery and murder. His arraignment is scheduled for next week. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
His alleged accomplice, Abdi, was arrested in 2024 and has pleaded not guilty. His trial is slated for October.
Haji’s arrest marks another instance of growing international cooperation in tracking and extraditing suspects accused of serious crimes.
