Fremont homicide suspect was U.S. Army translator who fled Afghanistan, lawyer reveals

DUBLIN — A man who allegedly shot and killed his neighbor after slapping his wife is a former translator for the U.S. Army with no arrest history, his attorney said in a failed bail motion.

Abbasin Hoshmand, 47, is in jail facing charges that he murdered Mikell Anthony Jordan, Hoshmand’s neighbor who lived in the same Fremont apartment complex. In a failed bail motion, Hoshmand’s lawyer argued that his client deserved a chance at release because he has no criminal history and would comply with court restrictions to his movement.

Hoshmand allegedly shot and killed Jordan on Sept. 26, outside an apartment on Grimmer Boulevard. Witnesses allegedly told police that Hoshmand was acting “irrationally” and that he slapped his wife before the shooting, then was overheard saying “you’re next” just before the shots were fired.

The two had been arguing for months about parking in their area, according to police.

An online fundraiser for Jordan describes him as “a cherished son, brother, partner, father, and friend, whose kindness, laughter, and love touched everyone around him.”

Hoshmand’s lawyer wrote in court records that he’s a Kabul native who worked for the U.S. Army as a translator during the war in Afghanistan, “often entering areas of combat and risking his own safety.” He came to the United States in 2014 with his family because “if they remained in Afghanistan, all their lives were in danger,” the bail motion says.

At the time of the shooting, Hoshmand was living in Fremont with his wife and seven kids, the motion says.

Judge Elisa Della-Piana denied Hoshmand’s motion at an Oct. 21 court hearing, records show.

In addition to the murder charge, Hoshmand faces a misdemeanor count for allegedly slapping his wife. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is next due in court on Dec. 11 for a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will try to convince a judge there is enough evidence to set the case for trial.