Rochester Hills slaying suspect charged with murder; extradition sought

A suspect in the slaying of a Rochester Hills man has been charged with murder and is in the process of being extradited from Louisiana, bringing hope to the family of Hamtramck businessman Hussein Murray that his alleged killer will be brought to justice.

Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, of Dearborn was arrested Saturday in Louisiana, and has been charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a news release Sunday.

Hernandez is one of two men suspected of killing Murray, 72, of Rochester Hills on Friday. Murray’s 72-year-old wife, who has not been identified, was home during the assault and was briefly hospitalized.

“This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home,” McDonald said in the release. “I have authorized the highest charge, which carries a mandatory life without parole sentence for this brutal crime. My office will work diligently to ensure that this individual is held accountable and that the public is safe from violent predators.”

Murray and his wife were married 54 years, and have three children and 11 grandchildren, said one of Murray’s grandchildren, Hussein Murray.

He said his grandfather owned Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck, which also had a pawn shop attached to it.

“Our family is deeply saddened by the loss of my grandfather, Hussein,” said Murray in a statement. “My grandfather was a man with a heart of gold, who treated all those around him with kindness and compassion. He has made a lasting impact with our family and community, and I’m beyond proud to call him my grandfather.”

Murray said he was “eternally grateful for the support the community has shown our family in this difficult time.”

“We are also grateful for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department’s tireless work in seeking justice for my grandfather, and compassion for our grieving process,” Murray said. “We are heartbroken by the news of his death, but our family will bond through this with the resolve he has instilled in us by being the man he was.”

Hernandez was arrested without incident at about 4 p.m. Saturday in Shreveport after Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted a vehicle on Interstate 49 that matched Hernandez’s vehicle.

Deputies made a traffic stop and arrested Hernandez for armed robbery warrants out of Ohio and the Oakland County murder warrant. He is being held in the Caddo Correction Center.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said Hernandez is scheduled to appear in court in the next few days, and it was not immediately known if he would waive extradition to Michigan.

Information on a second suspect has not been released.

“This case is an extremely disturbing and tragic event for which we intend to hold the perpetrators fully accountable,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a news release Sunday.

“I am so proud of our whole team and how they worked around the clock to bring this case forward. I am also very proud of our partnership with the U.S. Marshal’s Service as well as the local sheriff’s office that was watching for our suspect vehicle. We continue to ask the public’s help for information on locating the second suspect.”

The slaying happened shortly before noon Friday in a home in the 3700 block of Newcastle, an upscale neighborhood.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Hernandez and a thin man posed as DTE employees and drove a white pickup truck with a DTE identifier on it.

In a clip shared on the Sheriff’s Office’s social media accounts, a large man wearing a reflective vest and medical face mask can be heard saying, “We’re DTE. We’re checking for gas leaks.”

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Murray’s wife told deputies the men had come to their home Thursday night, claiming there was a gas leak but were not admitted. She said on Friday they were allowed in the home and her husband accompanied them to the basement, ostensibly to look for the leak.

The Sheriff’s Office said Murray’s wife called 911. She had been tied up and her hands had been duct taped. She told deputies initially that she believed her husband may have been kidnapped. While checking the house, deputies found the husband’s body in the basement.

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Staff Writer Kim Kozlowski contributed.