The international manhunt for an Iowa City man who fled from Iowa to Jordan in May 2023 to avoid prosecution for robbing and attempting to kill a woman in 2022, ended Tuesday with a plane landing at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Ali Younes, 21, was taken into custody without incident by Chicago police and will be extradited to Iowa following a “self-surrender process facilitated by the University of Iowa Police Department and the U.S. Embassy in Jordan,” UI police said in a news release. Younes has voluntarily returned to the United States, officials said.
Younes still faces attempted murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree theft charges in the robbing and choking a woman on the UI campus until she lost consciousness and then stealing her earrings, valued at $20,000, in April 2022, according to court documents. If convicted, he faces up to 60 years in prison.
He now will face an additional charge of escape by a felon, a Class D felony, according to police.
Younes used his Jordanian travel documents to flee the country May 6, 2023, after cutting off his ankle monitor, which was part of his pretrial release pending trial, according to court documents.
Lima Younes stands with her defense attorney Tomas Rodriquez and an interpreter as her trial stands in recess for the day in the Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City on Aug. 1, 2023. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
He was living in Sutherland, northwest Iowa, with his parents, Alfred Ali Mohammad Younes, 49, and Lima Khairi Mohammad Younes, 45, who helped him escaped and were convicted for aiding and abetting him.
“The successful return of Mr. Younes demonstrates our commitment to working with our international partners to ensure justice for the victim in this case,” Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said in a statement.
UI Police officials said the department established and maintained an open line of communication with Younes following his arrival in Jordan and successfully facilitated his voluntary return with assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan.
“I would like to thank Det. Ian Mallory and our entire investigations team for their unwavering dedication to supporting victims of crime and refusal to give up on this case,” Chief Lucy Wiederholt said in a statement. “Their tireless work highlights their commitment to making our community a safer place.”
The University of Iowa Police Department and Johnson County Attorney’s Office thanked the U.S. Embassy Overseas Criminal Investigations Unit in Jordan, which assisted in coordinating with American Citizens Services, airlines, and other security authorities. Their work was critical to facilitating the successful voluntary return of Younes to the United States, according to the news release.
Ali Younes appeared for a pretrial hearing May 5, 2023 but then cut off his court-ordered GPS monitor the next day, according to investigators. He had received a reduced bail ruling from 6th Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns during a contested hearing in June 2022.
His bail was reduced from $350,000 to $125,000, and the judge released him on several conditions — including wearing a GPS monitor and being under home confinement with his family in Northwest Iowa’s O'Brien County pending trial.
On May 6, 2023 the Iowa State Patrol’s tactical team obtained a search warrant for the family’s home in Sutherland, where UI police had found Younes’ ankle monitor left in the kitchen and SIM cards missing from his phones, court documents show.
Alfred Younes was arrested May 9 by the Omaha Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Omaha Airport Authority while he was attempting to board a flight in Omaha, according to court documents. He was headed to Amman, Jordan.
Alfred Ali Mohammed Younes, 49, listens as he is sentenced at the Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City on Nov. 20, 2023. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)
Lima Younes was arrested May 9, by UI police on a warrant with the assistance of the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.
According to evidence at Lima Younes trial, the couple misled police about the whereabouts of their son and sold their vehicle in another state and rented a van to conceal their travel to O’Hare so their son could get on a flight to Jordan.
Lima Younes was convicted by a jury and Alfred Younes pleaded guilty to the escape from custody and were each sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Both the Iowa Board of parole gave each early parole, Alfred serving more than five months and Lima serving over seven months.
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Ali Younes, 21, was taken into custody without incident by Chicago police and will be extradited to Iowa following a “self-surrender process facilitated by the University of Iowa Police Department and the U.S. Embassy in Jordan,” UI police said in a news release. Younes has voluntarily returned to the United States, officials said.
Younes still faces attempted murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree theft charges in the robbing and choking a woman on the UI campus until she lost consciousness and then stealing her earrings, valued at $20,000, in April 2022, according to court documents. If convicted, he faces up to 60 years in prison.
He now will face an additional charge of escape by a felon, a Class D felony, according to police.
Younes used his Jordanian travel documents to flee the country May 6, 2023, after cutting off his ankle monitor, which was part of his pretrial release pending trial, according to court documents.
He was living in Sutherland, northwest Iowa, with his parents, Alfred Ali Mohammad Younes, 49, and Lima Khairi Mohammad Younes, 45, who helped him escaped and were convicted for aiding and abetting him.
“The successful return of Mr. Younes demonstrates our commitment to working with our international partners to ensure justice for the victim in this case,” Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said in a statement.
UI Police officials said the department established and maintained an open line of communication with Younes following his arrival in Jordan and successfully facilitated his voluntary return with assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan.
“I would like to thank Det. Ian Mallory and our entire investigations team for their unwavering dedication to supporting victims of crime and refusal to give up on this case,” Chief Lucy Wiederholt said in a statement. “Their tireless work highlights their commitment to making our community a safer place.”
The University of Iowa Police Department and Johnson County Attorney’s Office thanked the U.S. Embassy Overseas Criminal Investigations Unit in Jordan, which assisted in coordinating with American Citizens Services, airlines, and other security authorities. Their work was critical to facilitating the successful voluntary return of Younes to the United States, according to the news release.
Younes cut off ankle monitor before fleeing
Ali Younes appeared for a pretrial hearing May 5, 2023 but then cut off his court-ordered GPS monitor the next day, according to investigators. He had received a reduced bail ruling from 6th Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns during a contested hearing in June 2022.
His bail was reduced from $350,000 to $125,000, and the judge released him on several conditions — including wearing a GPS monitor and being under home confinement with his family in Northwest Iowa’s O'Brien County pending trial.
On May 6, 2023 the Iowa State Patrol’s tactical team obtained a search warrant for the family’s home in Sutherland, where UI police had found Younes’ ankle monitor left in the kitchen and SIM cards missing from his phones, court documents show.
Alfred Younes was arrested May 9 by the Omaha Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Omaha Airport Authority while he was attempting to board a flight in Omaha, according to court documents. He was headed to Amman, Jordan.
Lima Younes was arrested May 9, by UI police on a warrant with the assistance of the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.
According to evidence at Lima Younes trial, the couple misled police about the whereabouts of their son and sold their vehicle in another state and rented a van to conceal their travel to O’Hare so their son could get on a flight to Jordan.
Lima Younes was convicted by a jury and Alfred Younes pleaded guilty to the escape from custody and were each sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Both the Iowa Board of parole gave each early parole, Alfred serving more than five months and Lima serving over seven months.
Iowa City man who fled to Jordan to avoid prosecution self-surrenders in Chicago
An Iowa City man who fled to Jordan in 2023 to avoid prosecution for attempted murder voluntarily surrendered to Chicago Police with help of UI Police and the U.S. Embassy in Jordan.
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