A New York man was arraigned last week on murder charges after prosecutors say he broke into his estranged wife’s home, lay in wait while she took their children to school, and ambushed her with lethal cyanide.
Asif Qureshi, 53, appeared before Judge Terence Murphy to face an indictment for Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Burglary in the First Degree. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly described the crime as a calculated ambush that shattered the safety of a family home.
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“Aleena Asif brought her children to school on October 17th, 2025, unaware of the danger lurking inside of her own home and her estranged husband hiding in the shadows,” Donnelly said. “A home should be a place of sanctuary, but this defendant turned it into a house of horrors.”
A Calculated Timeline
According to the indictment, the sequence of events began on the morning of October 17, 2025. Prosecutors allege that shortly after the victim, 46-year-old Aleena Asif, left her Larch Drive home to take her children to school at 7:53 a.m., Qureshi slipped into the house.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured the defendant dressed in a dark hooded jacket, mask, and gloves, carrying a red and white tote bag as he unlocked the front door.
The timeline offered by investigators suggests a chilling near-miss involving the couple’s 7-year-old daughter. Aleena Asif returned to the home briefly at 8:00 a.m. with the child, unaware that Qureshi was allegedly hiding inside. She left again at 8:50 a.m. to walk the girl to school.
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When Aleena returned alone just after 9:00 a.m., prosecutors say Qureshi attacked. The indictment alleges he held cyanide over her mouth, killing her.
The Escape and Discovery
At approximately 10:50 a.m., nearly two hours after the victim returned home, Qureshi was seen exiting the house carrying a large duffle bag. Investigators tracked his movements to the intersection of Marcus Avenue and Denton Avenue, where he allegedly retrieved an electric scooter he had locked to a telephone pole a week earlier. He then fled toward Bellerose.
The alarm was raised that afternoon when the victim failed to pick up her youngest daughter from school. Her 18-year-old daughter contacted the police, who arrived to find the house locked. upon entering, officers discovered Aleena Asif deceased in her bedroom, lying face up with distinct red chemical burns around her mouth.
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The Nassau County Medical Examiner later confirmed the cause of death as asphyxiation caused by inhaling cyanide.
The Investigation
Police built their case largely on video surveillance. While the suspect was masked during the alleged break-in, investigators say footage from a nearby 7-Eleven and a bus stop in Queens captured Qureshi in the same clothing, but unmasked.
Additionally, authorities claim video evidence from October 10—one week prior to the murder—shows Qureshi scouting the location and locking the escape scooter to the pole.
Following his arrest on October 23 by the Bureau of Special Operations, a search of Qureshi’s home reportedly yielded black latex gloves and bags matching those seen on surveillance video.
Qureshi entered a plea of not guilty and was remanded without bail. He is represented by Stanley Rubin, Esq., and is scheduled to return to court on February 18, 2026.
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