A man is facing multiple charges including five counts of attempted first-degree murder after police say he entered a Germantown, Maryland, home on Monday evening and threatened his estranged wife and four of her family members.
Court documents indicate that when police responded to the home in the 14000 block of Jump Drive they saw Zain Imdad, 29, of Germantown, in the kitchen, strangling his wife and holding a black folding knife to her neck. Imdad was taken into custody and police recovered the knife.
People in the home told police Imdad had displayed a black handgun from his backpack and threatened to kill everyone.
The incident began around 4:20 p.m. when a 15-year-old family member walked out of his bedroom and was suddenly confronted by Imdad who pointed a black handgun at him.
When other family members arrived home within an hour, they say Imdad pointed the gun at them and declared that he would not leave the residence without his wife and that he would kill her or himself.
Inside Imdad’s backpack, police say they found a BB gun which family members had mistakenly believed was a firearm. Imdad told police he didn’t know his backpack also contained five sets of handcuffs, duct tape and rope.
Also found in the backpack was a suicide note.
Police say Imdad and his wife married last September, but she was fearful of him and wanted out of the relationship. On March 19, she obtained a protective order against him, which his wife said he violated numerous times. She and her family moved in an attempt to elude him.
Besides the counts of attempted first-degree murder, Imdad is also charged with five counts of attempted second-degree murder, five counts of first-degree assault, five counts of second-degree assault, home invasion, violating a protective order, reckless endangerment and concealing a dangerous weapon.
Imdad is scheduled for a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon.
