An arrest has been made in connection with the death of Monica Islam, 44, of Eustis, whose body was found at Wolf Branch Drive and Scenic Hills Drive in Mount Dora on May 2, 2025, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The defendant in custody is the victim’s brother-in-law, Shahidul Islam. He was arrested on a federal immigration warrant on May 6 and was extradited to Lake County on May 31. He faces a charge of first-degree murder.
According to a sheriff’s office news release, the woman’s husband, Rashedul Islam, is accused of striking her and stealing jewelry from her in December 2024. He also is accused of taking paperwork for disputed property in Bangladesh.
At that time, the sheriff’s office says, Shahidul Islam pointed a gun at his sister-in-law’s head and told her not to call 911.
The accusations were reported to the Eustis Police Department; however, Rashedul Islam fled the country. He has yet to return, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives discovered that Shahidul Islam had been deported, and there was an active federal immigration warrant for his arrest issued when he illegally entered the U.S., the news release says.
Detectives were able to track him to a Sanford home and later learned he left Sanford and traveled to New York. U.S. Marshals officials found Shahidual Islam and took him into custody on the federal warrant on May 6.
In the news release, the sheriff’s office spelled out the evidence that it says it has gathered tying Shahidual Islam to his sister-in-law’s death.
According to the agency, Islam left his Longwood home just after 3:30 a.m. the morning that Monica Islam’s body was found. He was in the area of the Shell gas station in Eustis where she worked at approximately 5:15 a.m.
According to the news release, he called Monica Islam’s phone just after 5:30 a.m. She is shown on surveillance video walking toward his car. A license plate reader database shows that his car was in the area where the body was found about 5:56 a.m.
Then, about 6:28 a.m., Shahidul Islam began searching the internet for information regarding this incident, the sheriff’s office says. The body was found by a passerby at 7:22 a.m.
A search of Shahidul Islam’s car revealed a shattered passenger side window, a projectile in the passenger door, and blood stains that resulted in a presumptive match to Monica Islam’s DNA, the sheriff’s office says.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Victim’s brother-in-law arrested in 2025 Mount Dora death
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Daily Commercial
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
