Man Let Strangers Into Apartment Building — Moments Later, He Was Dead

A man returning to his apartment in Washington, D.C., after a late-night food run was ambushed. As soon as the man returned to his apartment, he was tied up and beaten to death by strangers, who, after killing the man, set his apartment on fire, according to authorities.

The victim is a 40-year-old man, identified as Syed Hammad Hussain, who was ambushed by strangers whom he allegedly let into his apartment as he was returning from a late-night food run, according to authorities. One of the suspects has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

The Metropolitan Police Department has announced that one of the suspects charged with murder is a 36-year-old man identified as Rico Burnes. At a press conference held by the Metropolitan Police Department on March 31, the authorities announced that another suspect is in custody on unrelated charges in this case. However, charges related to Hussain’s killings have not been filed, according to the reports of local ABC affiliate WJLA.

The incident occurred on February 11, at around 11:30 p.m., when the victim, Hussain, was returning to his apartment building in the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue Northwest in Washington, DC, which is less than a mile from the White House. The MPD police chief, Jeff Carol, said, “He was literally just going out to get food and coming back home.”

Hussain had walked inside the building when he heard a knock on the door, according to investigators.

“He let them inside, I am sure he probably thought it was someone else from the building,” Carol said. “Unfortunately, we see things like that all the time, where there may be a fellow neighbor in an apartment building, or things like that, and folks will let him in. In this case, they just took advantage of him completely,” Carol added, while talking to the media.

Investigators have mentioned that there is no indication that the suspect knew the victim. “It appears they just picked him as he was walking back home,” according to the police chief.

Once the suspects were inside the apartment, Barnes and the other men reportedly beat Hussain. They forced themselves into his first-floor apartment, which has been described as “a loft-style one-bedroom condo,” according to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime.

The suspects, after forcing their way into Hussain’s apartment, allegedly tied him up and beat him to death before stealing multiple items from his house and then setting his entire apartment on fire and fleeing the scene.

Surveillance footage captured the suspects carrying multiple bags and clothing, according to court documents. Barnes allegedly held a bicycle and two bags and wore a black leather-style jacket and a winter coat underneath; none of the clothing was visible on him when he entered the building. The other suspect is also seen carrying several bags.