A Detroit teen accused of fatally stabbing a man last week has been charged as an adult, officials announced Tuesday.
Ahmed Al-Alikhan, 17, was arraigned Tuesday in 36th District Court in Detroit, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said. He is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder and unlawful driving an automobile away.
"It is hard to fathom a more planned series of events in this case," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the set of alleged facts is far too common in the LGBTQ community.
"We will bring justice to Mr. Brisendinem," she said. "The defendant is 17 years, and 11 months old — mere weeks away from being an adult offender under the law. As a result of that and the heinous nature of this crime, we will seek to try him as an adult."
A magistrate ordered Al-Alikhan to be held without bond and scheduled his next court hearing for Oct. 15.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Al-Alikhan's attorney, Jeff Perlman, said Tuesday that he had no comment on the case.
Authorities allege the defendant fatally stabbed Howard Brisendine, 64, of Detroit, on Sept. 29.
Police said officers were called at about 4 p.m. on that date to a home in the 6000 block of Minock Street near Evergreen Road and Kirkwood Avenue on the city's west side for a report of a dead body.
Officers arrived and found Brisendine dead with multiple stab wounds in his home's living room, investigators reported.
Detectives began an investigation and learned Brisendine's assailant took his car keys and fled the scene in his vehicle. Police said they developed Al-Alikhan as a suspect and believe he targeted the victim on a dating app because he was a member of the LGBTQ community.
Officials said Al-Alikhan was arrested by Dearborn police last week Tuesday and turned over to Detroit police.
"This case highlights the very real threats of deadly violence that LGTBQ individuals face every day," Alanna Maguire, president of the Fair Michigan Justice Project, said in a statement. The project is a collaboration between the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and Fair Michigan Foundation Inc., which helps state law enforcement officers and prosecutors solve major crimes against people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
A special prosecutor from the project handled last year's case against a man who fatally shot a transgender woman in Detroit in 2018. The defendant pleaded guilty.
"We encourage everyone to maintain vigilance and follow recommended safety tips, particularly when using dating apps," Maguire said. "Always meet a potential date in public, use your own vehicle or use a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft, tell a friend or loved one that you are planning to meet a date, and share that person's name and contact information.
"Make sure to save contact details in screenshots to capture the person's name and chat details, should you ever find yourself a victim of a crime. Keep your dating profile and picture free from identifying personal information like your home address," she said. "Fair Michigan would like to thank the Detroit Police Department and the Dearborn Police Department for their investigative work on this case. We hope to bring justice for Howard Brisendine."
Brisendine's stabbing is the latest in the area in recent weeks.
A 13-year-old Taylor girl accused of stabbing her 7-year-old sister to death last month could be sentenced as an adult.
Also last month, a 22-year-old Ypsilanti man was shot and wounded by police last weekend after he allegedly stabbed a car's driver in Washtenaw County.
A week before that, Oakland County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Pontiac man accused of fatally stabbing his neighbor.