Glendale, Arizona — A 23-year-old Arizona man is facing serious criminal charges after allegedly robbing a 66-year-old woman, running her over with his vehicle in front of her husband, and then casually driving to McDonald’s to buy fast food — all within the same afternoon.
Ali Hcaimi allegedly approached the couple on June 20 while they were outside a Glendale home they had planned to tour as potential buyers. Using a calculated ruse, Hcaimi pulled up in a maroon Lexus and told the woman he had seen her earlier at a nearby grocery store and that she had dropped a key.
The woman, who along with her husband speaks Cantonese, approached his vehicle. As she lifted her purse to check her keys, Hcaimi allegedly grabbed the bag and sped away. Because the victim was still holding onto her purse, she was dragged beneath the rear wheels of the vehicle.
Prosecutors stated in court that Hcaimi ran over the elderly woman from head to toe in front of her husband. The victim did not survive. A prosecutor chillingly noted during proceedings that tire marks were visible on the victim’s head.
Rather than fleeing the area or seeking help, Hcaimi allegedly drove directly to a McDonald’s with two juveniles in his vehicle. Surveillance footage reportedly captured him at a self-service ordering kiosk attempting to pay using the victim’s credit or debit card. When the card was declined, he returned to his vehicle and went through the drive-thru, eventually paying with cash.
Police tracked him down at the restaurant and took him into custody. During questioning, Hcaimi claimed he had been kidnapped earlier that day by an unknown man who forced him into his own trunk after binding his wrists and ankles with zip ties. Investigators did not find his account credible.
The two juveniles who were present with Hcaimi provided statements to authorities. The case remains under active investigation as prosecutors move forward with charges.
