(RICHMOND) – A 30-year-old Richmond man has been sentenced to life in prison after intentionally running over and killing a man in Needville.
According to Vehicular Crimes Chief Prosecutor Alison Baimbridge, Nabeel Ahmed picked up the victim, an acquaintance, from his job on Jan. 19, 2022, and drove him home. The two men hung out in the victim’s front yard, drinking beer before getting into a verbal argument that likely turned physical. The victim turned to walk inside his home when the defendant got into his pickup truck and drove straight into the victim, striking him from behind and killing him.
Ahmed then fled the scene. Within 20 minutes of the murder, Ahmed sent Facebook messages stating, “that’s what you get for putting your hands on me.” The next morning, the defendant viewed a Snapchat photo referencing the victim, stating, “RIP Javi”. Ahmed told his girlfriend, in response to this post, was that the victim “got what he deserved.” The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office identified, located and arrested the defendant within 48 hours of the crime.
“With technology today, it is very important to collect digital evidence whenever possible,” said prosecutor Mark Mitchell. “In this case, we were able to recover a large amount of data from the defendant’s infotainment center in his truck. This evidence was crucial to show the defendant’s intentions and whereabouts in the time surrounding the murder.”
During trial, the jury heard evidence of Ahmed’s unrelated pending crimes in Harris County, including Aggravated Assault, Evading in a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance. The defendant also struck his girlfriend with the same truck after a verbal argument a few months prior to the murder. The jury deliberated for three hours before returning a verdict for life imprisonment.
“Mr. Ahmed is a very dangerous person who has shown that any time he gets angry, he hurts people – whether they are his friends or strangers,” said Baimbridge.
“Through the teamwork of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, we were able to collect vital evidence to ensure the defendant’s conviction and keep our county safer.”
“The sentence was just considering the crime committed and criminal history of the defendant,” said District Attorney Brian Middleton. “Once again, the dedication of our District Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement, working together, removed a violent offender from our community.”
Ahmed was tried in the 434th District Court before Presiding Judge J. Christian Becerra. Murder in this case is first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years, or life, in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Ahmed was not probation eligible. Assistant District Attorneys Alison Baimbridge and Mark Mitchell tried the case.