Asif Qureshi charged in killing of wife Aleena Asif, found asphyxiated and burned in their Herricks home, police say

The estranged husband of a woman found fatally asphyxiated and burned in her Herricks home last week has been charged with her killing, police announced Friday.

Asif Qureshi, 53, was arrested and charged Thursday with second-degree murder after his estranged wife, Aleena Asif, 46, was found with burn marks around her face and mouth, police said at a news conference at Nassau County police headquarters in Mineola on Friday.

After being called to their Larch Drive home for a wellness check last Friday around 3:52 p.m., officers discovered Asif unconscious and not breathing, police said. She was pronounced dead by a Nassau police medic.

The medical examiner determined her death to be "criminal homicide due to asphyxiation by an unknown chemical substance," police said. 

The couple's three children, ages 7, 14 and 18, were not home at the time of the attack, police said. Asif had returned from dropping off the 7-year-old at school when the attack took place. The eldest child, a daughter, called authorities to check on their mother when it became apparent Asif hadn't picked up the younger child, police said.

Speaking at a news conference, Nassau Police Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said police learned that Asif, a certified public accountant, had asked Qureshi for a divorce in 2023. They reconciled in 2024, but she filed for divorce again this year.

Qureshi, an unemployed software engineer who lives in Bellerose, Queens, was served divorce papers on Oct. 9 but refused to accept them, Fitzpatrick said.

Unknown to Asif, Qureshi showed up at the Herricks house on Oct. 10 and there followed “multiple days that showed a pattern of stalking her,” Fitzpatrick said.

Detectives learned Qureshi had one prior arrest for a domestic incident involving his wife, the details of which have been sealed, Fitzpatrick said.

Police said there were five reported domestic incidents in the Herricks household between Qureshi and his family, four of them being with his wife and one involving their 18-year-old daughter.

While most of the fights revolved around finances, Fitzpatrick said in one instance, Qureshi threatened his wife to “make her swallow bleach.”

On Friday afternoon, Larch Drive was quiet aside from the sounds of children playing in a nearby school. A Toyota Camry remained parked in Asif’s driveway and a package in her name lay unopened by the garage.

Neighbor Rosalie Frisone said she did not know the couple personally but was shocked to hear the news. In her 45 years of living in the neighborhood, the area has always been quiet, she said.

“It’s terrible,” she said.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding the crime to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or dial 911. All callers will remain anonymous.

Newsday's John Valenti contributed to this story.