Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem Throws Baby from NJ Driscoll Parkway Bridge

Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem, is charged with abducting and throwing his 3-month-old baby daughter from the Garden State Parkway's Driscoll Bridge into the Raritan River. Updates as available. See a video below. See Update 2-17-10 below. Latest Update 2-27-10.

 

Kara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem 

  

Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem

The mother, Venetta Benjamin, filed a restraining order against the father the same day the baby was abducted. Abdul-Raheem and Benjamin are not married. She is a graduate student in her mid-20's. Abdur-Raheem is from Camden County, 21 years old and has no custody rights to his daughter.

He barged into the grandmother's apartment, hit her in the face,  grabbed little Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem, and ran to a minivan waiting outside with a male driver. The grandmother tried to grab the baby, and then threw herself on the hood of the car, before falling off.

Police found the man, Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem, sometime after 8 p.m. Tuesday at a family member’s residence in the Sicklerville section of Winslow Township, Camden County, according to Winslow police Lt. Michael Hoffman. There was no sign of his young daughter Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem, whom East Orange police claim he kidnapped late Tuesday afternoon...

...he told them he had thrown the young girl off the Driscoll Bridge and into the Raritan River while driving along the Garden State Parkway southbound, according to Dielmo.

Authorities began an immediate search of the river, but so far there is no trace of Zara. Temps dropped to 28 degrees F in the area Tuesday night. An Amber Alert was issued.

Abdul-Raheem told police that after he dumped his little girl in the river, he drove to see an imam in Atlantic County. Is this a new kind of "honor killing?" The mother, perhaps, disrespected him...and he killed his daughter? Or did he stash her somewhere? What does the imam have to say? No news on that, as yet.

Thanks to a reader who notified me about this abduction and, perhaps, murder, who just left the following information in comments:

He is being held on $700,000 bail and scheduled for a court appearance Thursday morning.T State Police have 17 divers, multiple boats and helicopters searching the banks and waters of the Raritan River in Middlesex County. 

Dow said Abdur-Raheem kidnapped the infant at 4 p.m. Tuesday after punching the girl's grandmother in the face and choking her at an East Orange apartment. When the grandmother tried to block his escape, Abdur-Raheem tried to run the 60-year-old woman down with a minivan, Dow said.  

Abdur-Raheem fled south, stopped at the Driscoll Bridge, and threw the infant from the span, Dow said. He then continued to Atlantic County and met with an Imam, who drove him to a family member's house in Winslow Township in Camden County. Police were called to the residence and he was taken into custody there at 8 p.m.

There is also controversy over an Amber Alert which apparently took over 4 hours to be processed.

Update 2-17-10:

See additonal information on Shamsid-Din (Shamshiddin) Abdur-Raheem: Raheem Visits Two Mosques After Throwing Baby off Bridge

Update 2-27-10:
Abdur-Raheem's 3-month old daughter has not been found. He is charged with the attempted murder of his daughter and aggravated assault against the baby's maternal grandmother. Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem is reported today to be under suicide watch. Thanks to reader wtd for the tip!

 

Shamshiddin Abdur-Raheem Throws Baby from NJ Bridge (video)