In 2000, the Harir family decided it had seen enough violence in its native Algeria. With two children to raise, the parents uprooted from North Africa and moved to the Virginia suburbs, seeking a quiet life away from their country's civil war.
Less than five years later, their only daughter, Dalia, 15, was found slain in a wooded area near Route 50 in Prince George's County. Yesterday morning, District police arrested a suspect in the case, detectives told the Harir family, now living in Springfield.
Dalia Harir, 15, of Fairfax was found dead by a Prince George's road crew.
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"There is so much terrorism back home, so many rough years we had to go through over there," said Nadia Harir, Dalia's aunt, in a phone interview yesterday. "We came here for a better future, and here we are. You go searching for happiness and peace, and it slaps you in the face."
Dalia's body was found Dec. 14, about 30 miles from her home in Fairfax County. Police said she had probably been dead for at least a day when road crews working near the exit ramp found her body. She was wearing a black spandex top, jeans, black sneakers, hoop earrings and a Mickey Mouse watch, police said at the time.
Prince George's County police late yesterday identified the suspect as Irving Winslow, 22. He was arrested at his home in the 3900 block of C Street SE in the District. They provided no other specifics about Winslow or the investigation.
However, a law enforcement source familiar with the case said detectives found the suspect through DNA testing and cell phone records. The source requested anonymity because the investigation remains open.
Dalia, who was shot, was the 42nd homicide victim of 2004 in Prince George's.
Nadia Harir said her niece was a "typical teen" who enjoyed being with her friends and had dreams of joining the Navy. "She was waiting until her senior year" to enlist, Harir said.
Dalia's disappearance initially was classified as a possible runaway case, according to Fairfax police, although Harir said yesterday that she believes her niece did not run away. Dalia was missing for 10 days.
As police searched for her, the focus of the investigation changed after authorities learned that Dalia had violated the terms of her probation. Because the probation stemmed from a case in juvenile court, Fairfax police would not say what crime Dalia had been charged with.
Dalia's family said the arrest brings more questions than answers.
"Today, police called and said they got the job done," her aunt said. "The big question mark is how she got from Springfield to Prince George's."
Although the family is happy that police have a suspect, Harir said, it doesn't ease the enormous loss.
"To be honest, it's like another shock," Harir said. "Maybe we will have closure from now on, because there has not been since her death."
