A Virginia rape suspect who was released from jail due to coronavirus concerns killed his accuser before fatally shooting himself, police said Saturday.
Ibrahm Elkahlil Bouaichi, 33, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head following a car chase with police Wednesday in Prince George’s County, Maryland, police said in a statement. Bouaichi was accused of fatally shooting 31-year-old Karla Elizabeth Dominguez Gonzalez, the woman who accused him of sexual assault last year, outside her apartment in Arlington, Virginia, on July 29, ABC 7 reported.
Gonzalez testified against Bouaichi in Alexandria District Court in December. He was charged with six felonies, including rape, and jailed without bond. When the pandemic hit in March, Bouaichi’s lawyers argued he should be freed while awaiting trial out of safety concerns.
Bouaichi was released from jail on $25,000 bond on April 9. Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins, who retired in June, ordered Bouaichi to stay in his Greenbelt home except when meeting with his lawyers or during pretrial services, but he did not order electronic monitoring for the suspect, The Washington Post reported.
Gonzalez was notified of his release the same day, according to the Alexandria Sheriff’s office.
Her death marked the first homicide in Arlington this year. A GoFundMe page set up for her family surpassed $10,000 Monday.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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