Baltimore police investigate homicide of Senegalese national Cheikh Dieng

Authorities in Baltimore, United States, have reclassified the death of Cheikh Dieng, a Senegalese national, as a homicide. Dieng's body was initially discovered by firefighters in the debris of an apartment fire in the Cherry Hill neighborhood, leading to early assumptions of an accidental death or asphyxiation.

However, a forensic autopsy revealed that Dieng was already dead before the fire started. Investigators believe the fire was intentionally set to conceal the crime and destroy evidence. The Baltimore Police Department's homicide unit is currently investigating the victim's recent contacts to identify the perpetrator and establish a motive. In Senegal, the victim's family is calling for justice, while the Senegalese diaspora in Baltimore has organized fundraising efforts to repatriate his remains.