APD investigators work around clock to nab murder suspect about to fly out of country

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The tireless efforts of Anaheim Police Department’s homicide investigators and Crime Task Force Special Investigations Unit have led to the arrest of a man suspected of killing a mother of three and dumping her body in a trash bin.

Amer Alhasan, 28, of La Habra was attempting to flee the country when he was taken into custody at LAX on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 31.

Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros talks about the arrest of a suspect after a female was found deceased in a trash bin early Tuesday morning in Anaheim.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge

The suspect, who is believed to be a U.S. citizen, was planning to board a flight bound for Jordan via Germany, Sgt. Daron Wyatt said at a news conference on Thursday. Investigators believe Alhasan has relatives in Jordan.

“If we were about two or three hours later, he would have been out of the country,” Wyatt said. “He had already completed his check-in to board the flight at the time he was arrested.”

Amer Alhasan

The body of Tiyanie Ly, 38, of Santa Ana, was discovered about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday morning by a person who’d been searching for recyclables in a dumpster behind an apartment complex in the 2000 block of South Balboa Street.

Ly’s body had been stuffed in a duffle bag.

Alhasan is believed to have been dating Ly when she was killed, but it isn’t yet known for how long or how they met.

There are reports that he may have committed a sexual assault in Jordan and fled that country to come back to the United States recently, Wyatt said.

Members of the media attend an Anaheim news conference on Nov. 1 to announce the arrest of a man after the body of a woman was found in an Anaheim trash bin.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge

Alhsan also had been arrested for a prior crime in California but was not charged, the sergeant said.

“Our background investigation has determined that there is likely prior events of either domestic violence or sexual assault,” Wyatt said.

Family members of Ly who had seen media coverage of the homicide contacted police Tuesday and helped officers identify the victim, Wyatt said.

Detectives identified Alhasan as a suspect and worked quickly to arrest him before he was able to leave the country.

“We have an outstanding group of homicide detectives here at the Anaheim Police Department as well as all the other investigative units that have assisted throughout the investigation,” Wyatt said. “They’d been working around the clock, first to identify the victim … and progressing the investigation and then ultimately to the suspect and then locating him at the airport and arresting him.”

Anaheim PD PIO Sgt. Daron Wyatt announces the arrest of a suspect after the body of a mother of three was found in a trash bin early Tuesday morning in Anaheim. Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros is behind him.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge

Investigators have asked anyone who may have been in a dating relationship with Alhasan or might know anything about the suspect’s dating history to contact OC Crimestoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS or at occrimestoppers.org.

On Friday, Nov. 2, the District Attorney’s Office filed first-degree murder charges against the suspect, who was deemed a flight risk and is being held in lieu of $5-million bail. If convicted, Alhasan faces 25 years to life in prison.

Anaheim PD PIO Sgt. Daron Wyatt announces the arrest of a suspect after the body of a mother of three was found in a trash bin early Tuesday morning in Anaheim. Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros is behind him.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge