A Maryland man indicted on rape charges, who a Virginia court released in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, murdered the woman who accused him, Alexandria, Va., police say.
Ibrahim Bouaichi was indicted on five separate charges, including rape, strangulation, and abduction, and was originally jailed without bond after Karla Dominguez accused him of raping her in October.
Bouaichi shot and killed Dominguez outside of her Alexandria apartment on July 29, according to police.
Two days after Dominguez's death, police obtained a warrant for Bouaichi's arrest. After searching for the suspect for days, Bouaichi shot himself as city police attempted to apprehend him on Wednesday. He is currently in critical condition.
Bouaichi's lawyers pushed for the suspect's release this spring after his March 30 trial was postponed, arguing that the coronavirus pandemic threatened his health while in jail. Circuit court judge Nolan Dawkins, who retired in June, released Bouaichi in April on a $25,000 bond and ordered him to stay at home.
When the coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year, jails and prisons across the country released inmates over fears for their health. New York City released thousands of prisoners from Rikers Island—250 of which have been rearrested. California state prisons are aiming to release nearly 18,000 prisoners in response to the coronavirus.