ARLINGTON, VA — A suspect wanted for attempted murder in connection to a 2023 shooting in Clarendon is in the Arlington County Detention Facility after being extradited to the U.S. from Spain, according to authorities.
Shortly after 2 a.m. on June 4, 2023, officers with Arlington County Police were dispatched to the 3000 block of Wilson Boulevard for a report of gunshots. When they arrived at the scene, police found a man in a parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was then taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, police said.
The police determined that the victim and suspect got into an argument. The suspect followed the victim to the parking lot and then shot the man, police said.
Through their investigation, detectives obtained warrants for the arrest of 36-year-old Taha Zouheir, whom they identified as a suspect in the case, according to police. Zouheir was taken into custody in Spain earlier this year, with the help of federal authorities. Following legal proceedings, he was returned to the U.S. with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service in June.
ACPD charged Zouheir with use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, malicious wounding and attempted first-degree murder, according to police.
Zouheir was arraigned Tuesday morning in Arlington General District Court, according to court records. His preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 5.
The use of a firearm in a felony-first offense charge is an unclassified felony, which carries a minimum sentence of three years in prison, under the Code of Virginia.
If convicted on the malicious wounding charge, which is a Class 3 felony, Zouheir faces a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, according to Virginia law.
The attempted murder in the first degree charge is a Class 4 felony, punishable in Virginia with a prison sentence of two to 10 years and a fine of up to $100,000.