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.
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[Clemenza]

My mom's hometown, famous for auto theft, Islamofascists, and Brett Schundler. 1 out of 3 aint bad.

[wtc911]

Why even think that it was a "safe house gone wrong", especially if you know more than the average Joe?

The throat cutting smacks of islamic style but there is zero in this story to indicate or even hint that these non-muslims are anything but victims. I'd rather we wait for more info before suggesting anything else.

[nmh]

How horrible!

I'd bet drugs were involved with someone in that household or atleast the killers thought that. How they died ... looks like punishment for drug involvement.

[nmh]

No. Main line in Philadelphia.

[Nitro]

Why even think that it was a "safe house gone wrong", especially if you know more than the average Joe?

Because I was working for the "New York Mercantile Exchange" in the WTC in 1993 when the first batch of sick bastards tried to knock them down...

and they came from Jersey City.

Oh and let's think, what is happening soon...

right... the Inaugaration....

I don't suppose any group of terror assholes would like to bother that?

Sometimes 2 and 2 will come out as look the F*ck out!!

[wtc911]

Because I was working for the "New York Mercantile Exchange" in the WTC in 1993 when the first batch of sick bastards tried to knock them down... and they came from Jersey City.

____________________________________________

I was on my way to a lunch meeting with the head of the COMEX Floor Brokers Assoc, crossing Liberty and walking into Two when it went off in '93. Worked GZ on 9.12 & 13. Was NYPD in the 70's when NYC was as bad as people thought it was. I doubt that your radar is any more finely tuned than mine. Yet, I still will wait for details before I'm willing to suggest that these people are anything but victims.

[Nitro]

I am totally willing to wait for facts...

hells bells, I am waiting...

I never suggested an action of any kind...

to me, that is a hell of a lot like waiting...

in the mean time, I will run scenarios through my mind.

And as it turns out, my first inkling was safe house gone wrong.

I hope I am wrong and the JCPD bags the guy and all is right with the world.

[wtc911]

gotcha

[Nitro]

Too bad you didn't get them.

[Palladin]

Anyone arrested yet?

How good is the Jersey City P.D.?

I had to get off the highway in J.C. one time on a trip to NY, to use the "facilities". It was mid-afternoon. I thought I was in a foreign country. Lots of guys on every corner wearing those muslim beanies. Don't any of them work for a living?

[EDINVA]

I guess THIS is your idea of polite ???

"Sketchy details, but you're correct, this scenario doesn't pass the "burglary" smell test.
"I note the "wife" has a different last name. Maybe that's an Islam thing?"

that was your response to hearing that a family of Coptic Christians had been executed during the Orthodox Christmas celebration and the day before one of the daughters in the family turned 16? That is polite?

Puhleeze, spare me, Mz. Manners !

[Old Professer]

What stands out is the ritual throat slashing; generally this is meant to convey a message.

[Trinity_Tx]

I got the impression that she just scanned the article and made an honest oversight. Happens to the best of us. ; )

[Coleus]

FAMILY OF 4 SLAUGHTERED

[Keme]

http://copts.net/

[ethical]

They are calling this an 'Islamic Hate Crime' instead of a hate crime against Christians.

[Keme]

In Arab countries, surnames aren't used the same way like in the rest of the word. It only designates your father or grandfather's first name (can go back even further). e.g. Mariam Botros Hanna is really Mariam daughter of Botros, grandaughter of Hanna. Likewise, in Egypt, the children would even have different last names than each parent.

Most Egyptians living in the West, stick with the last name of the father, but the wife may still have her name as it would've been in Egypt. They probably got married in Egypt before emigrating here.

[MinuteGal]

Thank you for the info presented in a very nice, polite manner.

Leni

[Keme]

Your welcome, please keep this family in your prayers. Just spoke with my father & it turns out he knows some of the relatives on the mother's side. This is just disgusting.

Freegards.