2nd suspect in Rochester Hills killing to be arraigned on felony murder charges
A second suspect has been named in a warrant on connection with the murder of an elderly jeweler who let killers inside his home when they posed as DTE technicians claiming they needed to inspect the house for an emergency.
Joshua Zuazo, 39, of Dearborn was named in connection with the murder of Rochester Hills resident Hussein Murray, authorities announced Thursday afternoon.
Officers arrested Zuazo on Monday, Oct. 14, in Plymouth Township, and he was being held held Thursday night in the Oakland County Jail, according to a news release from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. He was taken into custody without incident by members of the Sheriff's Office Fugitive Apprehension Team, with assistance from the Detroit Fugitive Task Force, the Michigan State Police and the U.S. Marshal's Service, according to a news release from Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Zuazo is expected to be arraigned on Friday on felony murder — a life offense — and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, 15-year felonies. The warrant was signed late on Thursday afternoon by 52-3 District Judge Laura Polizzi in Rochester Hills. Zuazo is being held in the Oakland County Jail, according to the release. A second suspect, Carlos Jose Hernandez, also of Dearborn, had already been named in a warrant and was in custody in Louisiana, according to Bouchard's release.
"I want to reiterate how proud I am of our whole team and what they did to quickly move this case forward, not only taking our suspects off the street, but bringing evidence to the prosecutor to move this into her court for the next phase," he said, also complimenting "our partners on the state, federal, and local level," including officers in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, who spotted Hernandez's truck speeding on Saturday down I-49 near Shreveport. He was pulled over and arrested not only for the Oakland County warrant but also for several armed-robbery warrants from Ohio. Hernandez was being held in the Caddo Correctional Center, pending a return to Michigan expected next week after he waived an extradition hearing in Louisiana.
Authorities said the duo's crime began at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2024 when the two went to the jeweler's upscale house, posing as DTE workers who were there to check a gas leak. The homeowners, Murray and his wife, both age 72, spoke with the two suspects through the home's doorbell camera but did not let them inside, according to the news release from Bouchard's office.
The suspects then said they'd return on the following day, and at about 10 a.m. they did so, gaining entrance to the house. According to the release, the husband "signed a piece of paper purportedly from DTE and escorted the defendants to the basement. Shortly thereafter, the defendants came upstairs" and they asked Mrs. Murray "where the money and jewelry were," then duct-taped her wrists and ankles. "At one point, she started to scream, defendant Hernandez hit her across the face," said the release.
The suspects ransacked the house, stole the woman's cell phone and watch, and drove off in an older model white pick-up truck with a DTE sign on its side, authorities said. The woman was able to call 911, but her husband was found dead in the basement with his wrists and ankles duct-taped, authorities said.
Impersonating utility workers "is despicable and threatens the sense of security of everyone in our community," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said, in a statement.
"My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from violent predators, and we will vigorously pursue justice for the victims in this case," McDonald said.
Officials at DTE said people should request to see an ID badge with a photo, whenever anyone says they are a DTE worker and seeks entry to a residence or yard. "If you are unsure if the person claiming to be from DTE is legitimate, immediately call DTE customer service at 800-477-4747," warns the utility. And if a person demands to be let into a home, keep your door locked and call 911.
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