Aleena Asif, a mother of three in Herricks, was killed on Thursday, Oct. 17, by her estranged husband, Asif Quareshi, Nassau County Police said Friday.
Asif, 46, was found unconscious and not breathing with severe facial burns on Oct. 17 at 3:52 p.m. by police in her Herricks home on Larch Drive, where she lived with her three children, officials said. She was pronounced dead by a police medic on the scene.
Quareshi, 53, was arrested on Oct. 23 near his apartment in Bellerose, Queens, and arraigned on a second-degree murder charge on Oct. 24.
Police reported to Asif’s home last Thursday afternoon after her 18-year-old daughter called to request a wellness check, as she had been informed that Asif had failed to pick up her younger sibling from school.
Police said they believe Asif, an accountant, was suffocated by Quareshi with a rag that likely contained a cyanide-like substance earlier that Thursday morning, when he knew her children would not be home.
Quareshi stalked Asif to figure out her and her children’s routines after she served him with divorce papers about a week prior, police said they believe.
“We have him showing up, waiting for the right opportunity, entering the house, waiting for his wife to drop off the kids at school, and then assaulting her and killing him,” said Stephen Fitzpatrick, a detective captain in the Nassau County Police Department Homicide Squad.
The two frequently disagreed over finances, and in 2023, Asif reportedly began seeking a divorce after calling police to report five prior instances of domestic violence, Fitzpatrick said. The calls alleged verbal threats of violence, four times against Asif and once against her oldest daughter, he said.
One instance allegedly involved Quareshi threatening to make Asif swallow bleach. No order of protection was issued.
The two reconciled and agreed on a separation agreement in late 2024, Fitzpatrick said. In 2025, Asif decided the arrangement wasn’t working, prompting her to serve Quareshi divorce papers in early October.
Asif leaves behind two daughters, 18 and four, and a son, seven. They are currently living with members of Asif’s family.
A police investigation is ongoing, and further testing is being carried out to determine the exact chemical used.
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