STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – A Sterling Heights woman is accusing her ex-husband of stalking and making death threats after she received text messages threatening to “empty 17 bullets” in her head and a picture of several guns laid out on a bed at his parents’ house.
He now faces federal criminal charges including transmitting a threat and stalking.
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Couple recently divorced
The Sterling Heights woman spoke with FBI agents on Sept. 24 and told them she had been receiving threatening texts from Vires Al-Hakiem, 42, of Shelby Township.
She said Al-Hakiem is her ex-husband. Officials said they have been separated since December 2020 and divorced since Sept. 8, 2021.
Since their separation, Al-Hakiem has displayed erratic behavior, according to his ex-wife.
Threatening text messages
The woman reported Al-Hakiem sends her threatening text messages and shows up at her house uninvited. She said he also posts social media videos about her, according to the criminal complaint.
Officials said the woman showed them text messages she received from Al-Hakiem between 1 a.m. and 11 a.m. June 15. In those text messages, Al-Hakiem indicated he was outside the woman’s home and wanted her to come outside to talk about their relationship, authorities said.
A few hours later, after the woman refused to come outside to talk, Al-Hakiem sent text message with a video attachment, officials said.
In the video, Al-Hakiem is shirtless and pointing a handgun at the camera. He says, “You see that gun? I put it inside your head and will empty 17 bullets in your f****** head and go show this to f****** judge what I say,” according to the criminal complaint.
The woman told authorities that she believes Al-Hakiem was referring to a judge she used when they were going through divorce proceedings.
She told agents that Al-Hakiem has access to guns and often carries a pistol, court records show.
The Macomb County judge who presided over their divorce watched the text message video and perceived it as a personal threat, according to authorities. Deputies have started conducting welfare checks at her home.
Officials said this is a screenshot taken from that video, and it appears to show Al-Hakiem holding a gun:
At 2:18 a.m. July 19, Al-Hakiem sent his ex-wife a picture of several long guns and magazines laid out on a bed, officials said. The picture was accompanied by texts that said, “Dat is how ready I am” and “Dat is all am gonna say,” according to the criminal complaint.
Here is a screenshot of those messages, according to officials:
Parking lot confrontation
During her interview, the Sterling Heights woman told officials that Al-Hakiem lives with his parents on South Lake Lane in Shelby Township. She said the picture above was sent from the master bedroom, where Al-Hakiem sleeps.
The woman received a personal protection order against Al-Hakiem on Aug. 26, and that remains in effect, authorities said.
Al-Hakiem is not allowed to communicate with his ex-wife or approach her on public or private property.
The woman told police that on Sept. 15, she received a Snapchat friend request from Al-Hakiem’s username.
On Sept. 23, Sterling Heights police officers were called to a business after the woman said she pulled into a parking lot and saw Al-Hakiem was already there. She said he walked up to her vehicle, spat on it and yelled, “I’m going to f*** you all up one by one. You b****, I got you, you f****** w****.”
Al-Hakiem left after his ex-wife started to call 911, officials said.
Previous criminal history
A review of records showed officials that Al-Hakiem was convicted of misdemeanor assault and assault and batter in October 2005.
He was convicted of felony possession of cocaine -- less than 25 grams in January 2005, according to officials.
On Sept. 23, 2021, Al-Hakiem was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon -- a spring-loaded switch blade, according to Sterling Heights police.
Charges
In the criminal complaint, Al-Hakiem is accused of sending threats to injury another person, and did so “with the intent to kill, injure, harass or intimidate.”
He engaged in conduct that made his ex-wife reasonably fear death or serious injury and caused her substantial emotional distress, according to the complaint.
Al-Hakiem is facing charges of transmitting a threat and stalking.
