A man was arrested Thursday while carrying an assault rifle outside the Brooklyn home of Iranian dissident journalist Masih Alinejad, according to federal authorities and media reports.
Alinejad, a fierce critic of the Iranian government, was previously the target of a kidnapping plot allegedly orchestrated by Iranian government agents. The attempt, which was foiled by the FBI, came after Alinejad wrote publicly about the Iranian regime’s efforts to silence her through a “social media campaign calling for my kidnapping.”
On Thursday, police arrested Khalid Mehdiyev, a 23-year-old Yonkers resident who was “behaving suspiciously” outside an unidentified residence over a period of days, according to a complaint. After NYPD officers pulled him over for allegedly running a red light, they discovered a suitcase in the back seat containing a loaded AK-47 and 66 rounds of ammunition, prosecutors said.
Although court documents do not explicitly name Alinejad, the Iranian journalist told the New York Times that authorities informed her that the 23-year-old suspect was watching her home. He also told the Times that he had security footage showing the suspect outside his home. Law enforcement sources also told the Daily News that Mehdiyev was targeting the reporter’s home.
At one point, prosecutors said, Mehdiyev left his Subaru and tried to open the front door of the residence in question.
According to the complaint, Mehdiyev told prosecutors he couldn’t pay the rent in Yonkers and was scouting the residence to see if he could rent a room. He initially denied knowledge of the assault rifle, before admitting it was his, adding that he was in Brooklyn “because I was looking for someone,” prosecutors said.
Mehdiyev faces a number of weapons charges, including possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, as well as failure to stop at a signal.
Inquiries to his attorney were not returned.