Print
Close
Mysterious calls placed from NYC terror suspect family's home hours after alleged ISIS-inspired attack
By Adam Sabes, Greg Wehner
Published March 11, 2026
FIRST ON FOX: BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. — Dispatch logs obtained by Fox News Digital show that three calls to law enforcement were made from the home of one of the New York City terror suspects in suburban Philadelphia after the foiled attack.
The first call to law enforcement came in at 4:15 p.m. Saturday from Ibrahim Kayumi's family home, the logs showed. The second came in at 9:19 p.m. A third call to law enforcement was placed on Sunday at 8:54 p.m. The calls were made to 911 or non-emergency lines, according to the log. It's unclear what was said on the calls or why they were made.
The calls surfaced as details emerged about the suspects’ families. The two men lived just 10 miles apart but came from very different worlds, leaving neighboring communities stunned.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Emir Balat, 18, of Langhorne, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, of Newtown, are accused of throwing live explosive devices into a protest outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence, Gracie Mansion, on Saturday after making the almost two-hour drive into New York City, federal officials said.
In a complaint, prosecutors said a series of pictures showed the two men handling the alleged bomb, which authorities later determined to have contained triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, and had nuts and bolts attached with duct tape.
According to The Associated Press, a license plate reader captured the two men entering New York City from New Jersey less than an hour before the foiled attack, which took place at around 12:15 p.m. Kayumi's mother said she last saw him at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday when she filed a missing person report.
Ibrahim Kayumi
Kayumi's parents came to the U.S. from Afghanistan and became naturalized citizens in 2004 and 2009, according to CBS News.
A LinkedIn belonging to Shaysta, Kayumi's mother, states she's a manager at Popeyes.
The father, Khayer Kayumi, attempted to buy a Popeyes location in Brooklyn, New York, in 2010, but wasn't able to open it because of a previous tax balance on the property, which was at least $200,000, according to court documents. The restaurant location was taken over by Bank of America in 2013.
According to Zillow, the Kayumis' home in Newtown is worth over $2.2 million.
Emir Balat, left, and Ibrahim Kayumi, right, were arrested in New York City March 7, 2026, after an explosive was thrown at a protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's home Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images; Reuters/Madison Swart)
Khayer told The New York Times they became worried after their son didn't come home Saturday.
"Maybe he had killed himself," he said. "We didn’t know what was going on. … If he’s going to be five minutes late, he calls."
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
Ibrahim Kayumi family's home in Pennsylvania Monday, March 9. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
Emir Balat
Balat’s parents, who were born in Turkey, became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2017, according to the report.
Prior to getting citizenship, Balat's father, Selahattin, sued Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in 2017 over delays regarding their citizenship application. They initially applied for citizenship in 2015.
Emir Balat flees after allegedly throwing a homemade explosive device toward police as NYPD Chief Aaron Edwards and Sgt. Luis Navarro take action during a protest in front of Gracie Mansion, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's official residence, in New York March 7, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Violeta Sadauskiene, one of Balat's neighbors, told Phillyburbs.com the Balat's are "absolutely lovely people."
"There was zero suspicious stuff going on at their house," she said. "Everybody was just in shock. Everyone. I could not believe it when I heard it. We thought it must be a mistake."
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
Emir Balat family's home in Pennsylvania. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were being held without bail after a court appearance Monday on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. (Greg Wehner for Fox News Digital)
Balat's lawyer, Mehdi Essmidi, claimed to reporters that the two men didn't know each other prior to the attempted attack.
"They're strangers as far as I know," Essmidi said. "I'm saying they're from different parts of Pennsylvania. They're in different age groups. They are not known to each other. They do not live together. They do not have family or school ties."
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
The suspect, identified as Emir Balat, was seen holding the alleged bomb in front of Gracie's Mansion in New York City. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Though Balat is in high school, his attorney told reporters he was finishing classes remotely.
"He's 18. He's finishing school remotely because he has only, like, three classes left to do. He's in his senior year," Essmidi said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A district spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Balat is in 12th grade in the Neshaminy School District. Kayumi graduated in 2024 from Council Rock High School North, school officials confirmed.
The spokesperson told Fox News that Balat attended Neshaminy High School until September 2025 before going remote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the families for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/mysterious-calls-placed-from-nyc-terror-suspect-familys-home-hours-after-alleged-isis-inspired-attack