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Man accused of kidnapping Florida girl faces murder charge in death of her mother, police say

Renato Muhaj faces multiple charges after Amber Alert issued

A man accused of kidnapping an 8-year-old Florida girl, which prompted an Amber Alert, is also accused of killing the girl’s mother, according to law enforcement officials.

Renato Muhaj was arrested after police responded to an apartment in Clearwater and found Suela Saliaj, 32, dead and her 8-year-old daughter missing.

Muhaj and Saliaj were the parents of the girl, but they were not in a relationship, police said.

The Largo Police Department said it responded to the apartment around 3:15 a.m. to assist Clearwater police for a felony battery case. The departments, along with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, then began searching for Muhaj and the girl.

The Amber Alert was issued and officers were trying to find Muhaj and the girl, who were traveling in a gold 2017 Kia Sportage.

Police used cellphone activity to track Muhaj, who was found with the girl inside the vehicle around 8:30 a.m.

Muhaj faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and child abuse. He is also facing other charges stemming from the battery case.


About the Author
Brenda Argueta headshot

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.

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