A California man who allegedly strangled his girlfriend to death because he believed she was pregnant and wanted to keep the children has been convicted of murdering her and discarding her body in a dumpster, KTLA-TV reports.
On Friday, jurors found 33-year-old Amer Alhasan guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 38-year-old Tiyanie Ly in 2018.
Ly’s body was found stuffed inside luggage by someone rummaging through the dumpster looking for recyclables on October 30, 2018. The dumpster was located behind an apartment complex in Anaheim, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The following day, police arrested Alhasan as he was trying to flee the country at LAX airport, where he had booked a flight to Jordan. At least one former girlfriend has accused him of assault, according to KTLA-TV.
Authorities alleged that Alhasan strangled Ly to death because she had recently told him she was pregnant with twins and that she wanted to keep the babies, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, Ly was not pregnant and it was not clear why she told Alhasan she was expecting.
During the trial in Orange County Superior Court, Alhasan claimed the death was accidental, testifying that he grabbed Ly’s neck by instinct when she came into his bedroom unexpectedly and squeezed his testicles, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Prosecutors argued that Alhasan’s claim of accidental strangling is inconsistent with the evidence, including a bruise on the victim’s neck that indicated she was choked from behind using a belt.
Ly lived in Santa Ana and had three young kids: a 10-year-old daughter, an 8-year-old son and a 4-year-old son. She worked as an ultrasound technician on the graveyard shift.
When Ly did not return home from work on the evening of October 30 2018, her family became worried, in part because she would always make sure to see her kids in the morning and bring them to school. Ly and her children had been living with her parents at the time.
“It was kind of strange because we know that she would never miss picking up the kids,” said Adam Margaros, Ly’s brother in law, according to KTLA-TV.
He added: “She’s a great person. She’s one of those types of people that have a big heart, loves everyone.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 6. Alhasan faces 25 years to life in prison.
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[Feature Photo: Amer Alhasan/Anaheim Police Department]
