'Arizona man' brutally killed elderly women during purse theft and asked for Arabic interpreter in court, cops say

A 23-year-old suspect allegedly left tire marks on his elderly victim's head after running her over in front of her husband during a purse-snatching incident.

Prosecutors say that Ali Hcaimi had a pattern of targeting elderly people for robberies but was caught after the lethal incident on Saturday at about 2:45 p.m. in the city of Glendale.

'He ran her over from head to toe. There were tire marks on her head.'

Hcaimi approached the couple near their home on 59th Avenue and interacted with the woman before grabbing her purse. She struggled with him before he drove over the victim in his vehicle.

She was transported to a hospital, where she later died.

"He ran over the elderly female victim in front of her husband, who had to witness this event," said a prosecutor in court. "He ran her over from head to toe. There were tire marks on her head."

Prosecutors said Hcaimi had robbed another elderly woman just five days previously.

They said the man followed a woman home from the bank and stole $5,000 she had withdrawn. He ran off with the money in her purse, which also had her medications. The purse and the medications were later found discarded.

"He had an MO here where he was preying upon elderly victims who really cannot defend themselves adequately against him," said a prosecutor.

The suspect initially spoke in English when he appeared at the Maricopa County Superior Court before requesting an Arabic interpreter.

Through the interpreter, he claimed he had a mental or psychological issue that would be aggravated if he were ordered to detention in a closed place or room.

"Perhaps maybe the best option is to put me, uh, if possible, to be held in custody somehow at home, my mother's home or something," he said through the interpreter. "I can be put on a leg on my belt on my feet or something, and I can promise that I won't leave home at all."

The judge denied the request and gave Hcaimi a $1.25 million cash-only bond along with other release restrictions.

RELATED: Man lethally stabbed elderly victim in the neck targeted him because he was a pedophile: cops

He faces a felony first-degree murder charge as well as felony robbery for one case and another felony robbery charge for the second case.

Hcaimi was described by the media as an "Arizona man" despite suspicion that he might be a migrant due to his interpreter request.

A neighbor said that the couple had just moved to Florida and were back at the home to pick up some of their belongings. He added that hazmat workers had to clean up the streaks of blood in the street left in the attack.

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