Four family members slain in their Jersey City, NJ home

Daily News and ABC news ^ | 01.14.05

[Coleus]

Four family members slain in their Jersey City home

JERSEY CITY, N.J.— Four family members were found slain in their home Friday morning. All were bound and gagged, and their throats were slashed, First Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory said.

Jersey City police broke down the door to the home about 4 a.m. after concerned relatives said they had not heard from the family for several days, authorities said.

The victims were Hossam Armanious, 46; his wife, Amal Garas, 36; and their daughters, Sylvia Armanious, 16, and Monica Armanious, 8.

No arrests had been made as of Friday afternoon.

Investigators spent the morning at the family's house near the Hudson County Courthouse, donning white boots when entering the green, two-story wood frame home. The porch was bedecked with Christmas decorations including tinsel lights, red bows and garland wrapped around the handrail.

Hossam Armanious bought the house in November 2000 for $96,500, records show.

Ayman Garas, brother of the slain woman, told reporters his sister was "a very peaceful person."

"She's got nothing against anybody," Garas said. "I have no answers."

The younger girl attended P.S. 6, around the corner from the home, while her sister went to Dickenson High School. School authorities had no immediate comment.

"I feel very, very bad," said Mohammed Riaz Khan, who lives across the street from the victims. "They were a nice family."

"They were good people," added Betty Garro, who works as a housekeeper next door.

WNBC-TV in New York reported authorities were investigating whether a former tenant, who had had a dispute with the family, was involved.

Originally published on January 14, 2005

• Images From The Story

  Ayman Garrus, brother: "They did this for no reason, probably for the money. Take the money and leave! Why you kill everybody?"

  The brother of one of the victims was trying to get in touch with his sister for the past few days when all attempts failed. So he and his family tried to get into the house but they could not open the door. That's when the family members decided to go to the police to file a missing persons report.

  Early this morning police went into the residence and made the discovery. The bodies of 46-year-old Hossam Armanious, his wife, 36-year-old Amal Garrus, and their daughters fifteen-year-old Sylvia and 8-year-old Monica. The family had just celebrated the Catholic Orthodox Christmas and the fifteen-year-old was going to turn sixteen tomorrow.

  Ayman Garrus: "They were very peaceful. They could just go to church and go to their jobs. They had no problems with nobody at all."

  We also understand that the 8-year-old went to a school not far from here.

  At this point police do not have a suspect in custody but we understand that they do have very good leads and this may have been a tenant dispute. Neighbors and family and friends are all shocked by the horror that has occurred here this morning.
  Link to  the story

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[Coleus]

Time will tell. Could have been a family problem or gang violence which is high in Jersey City.

[dead]

I don't know a single thing about this story, but generally your average Joe Citizen isn't executed, along with his family, bound and gagged, unless they're involved in some shenanigans.

There are always exceptions of course, but statistically, in this sort of crime scene, at least one of the victims knows exactly who's killing them and why they're killing them.

[EDINVA]

what is there about Coptic Christian that you don't understand?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

All of that is true. But the article doesn't mention religion, thus my skepticism.

[Nitro]

You are right...

until amything of substance comes to light four people have been murdered and I hope the JCPD runs down the killer/s.

[Hardastarboard]

Good thing the family wasn't allowed to have a gun in the house. Someone might have gotten hurt.

God rest the souls of these indirect victims of socialist social engineering. Four more victims on the Democrats' non-existent conscience.

[wtc911]

I am thinking safe house gone wrong.

__________________________________________

Yeah, another of those blood thirsty Orthodox Catholic (Coptic) familes.

[dead]

Well Egyptian strongly implies Muslim, and Jersey City is an absolute hot bed of militant islamics, so I can understand some speculation along those lines.

I don't think speculating hurts anything. They're not likely to get more dead as a result of it.

[peter the great]

That story that I told you about, the cab driver, it also happened in Jersey City.

[MinuteGal]

What is there about politeness you don't understand?

Leni

[Trinity_Tx]

Well, for what it's worth, I was only thinking along the lines of their being "punished" for being infidels.

[GOP_Proud]

Well, someone has decided to take the high road.

Spoil sport. 8>)

[Coleus]

The people who were killed were Eastern Rite Christians, Coptics. The Egyptian Coptic Church is a Christian church founded in 58 A.D. by Mark the Apostle.

[Palladin]

Who livd in that apatment house next door? I'd be looking at them.

Orthodox Christmas: money, jewelry, gifts.

Some punk gang of the usual persuasion in Jersey City, I would say.

[Nitro]

I am an Irish Catholic...

say I get murdered and I have a picture of Malcolm X on my wall...

does that make me a Black Militant?

I was not accusing, but as another poster surmised, violent death plus middle eastern heritage plus method of death...

it just sets off alarm bells in people who know a little more than the average civilian.

[Coleus]

Somebody is Pissed off. Maybe it's the former tenant.

WNBC-TV in New York reported authorities were investigating whether a former tenant who had had a dispute with the family was involved.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

...about a month ago there was a cab driver who was Coptic Orthodox, engaged to be married and was about to head off into the Seminary to become a Priest. It was a horrible story but also something that I wonder about.

What happened to the cabbie?

[Iscool]

My guess is that the news media doesn't care to broadcast that Arab muzlims are going around butchering Arab Christians, including children, in the United States...Wouldn't look so good for the religion of peace...

[peter the great]

I am sorry the cabbie was the guy who was murdered, and was from Egypt, Coptic Orthodox etc.

[yer gonna put yer eye out]

....Bingo