Posted on 08/29/2006 10:14:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
One person was killed and at least 14 others injured when a rampaging man intentionally targeted pedestrians with his sport utility vehicle in San Francisco and Fremont on Tuesday afternoon, according to police.
The driver, Omeed Aziz Popal, 29, of Fremont, was taken into custody on suspicion of 14 counts of attempted murder and one count of willful flight after causing serious injury or death, according to San Francisco police Sgt. Neville Gittens.
The spree apparently began around noon across the bay, where Fremont Police Sgt. Chris Mazzone said a 55-year old man was struck and killed by a black Honda SUV while walking along the side of the road on Fremont Blvd. near Ferry Lane in Fremont.
Police indicated that the first of a dozen San Francisco collisions occurred at the intersection of Sutter and Webster streets about 12:45 pm.
Popal allegedly hit pedestrians at Sutter and Webster streets, Polk and Sacramento streets, Bush and Divisadero streets, Sutter and Steiner streets, California and Laurel streets, California and Fillmore streets, Divisadero and Pine streets, Bush and Pierce streets, at 1850 Fillmore St., at Fillmore and Bush streets, Spruce and California streets and then 3220 California St. He also rammed a motorist at Golden Gate Avenue and Larkin Street.
"In some cases he drove on the sidewalk, in some cases he drove on the street. He aimed at people in the crosswalk," Gittens said. "This happened pretty quickly. We're talking about a span of about 20 minutes."
San Francisco police finally boxed the SUV in with their cruisers in the city's Laurel Heights district at 1:05 pm.
Police cordoned off an area around California Street between Spruce and Mayfair streets, where the SUV, on Spruce Street, came to a stop facing the opposite direction of traffic.
The windshield and front end of the vehicle were smashed in.
Rescue crews set up triage areas to tend to the injured victims. Police said 13 people were taken to local hospitals, with three in critical condition and five others listed as seriously hurt.
Authorities also believe the number of victims may rise as people come forward.
An FBI agent on his lunch break, a cyclist, a teenager, and a 52-year-old woman are among the victims in San Francisco, authorities said.
A child suffered from massive head injuries after being struck along California street, police said. The other victims were all between the ages of 18 and 78 years old, according to San Francisco Public Health spokeswoman Eileen Shields.
An FBI agent on his lunch break was also struck by the suspect's SUV in the vicinity of the Federal Building.
"He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," FBI spokesman Ryan Butler said. The agent suffered "very minor injuries" and was treated and released, Butler said.
One of the three hospitals treating victims was San Francisco General Hospital, where Newsom met with victims and their families.
"These are the things, these are so senseless. They're utterly inexplicable. They're impossible to rationalize," Newsom said afterward. "The fact that this individual felt compelled for whatever reason to be determined to do what he did is beyond imagination."
A woman who identified herself as Popal's cousin said he was having recurring nightmares about someone coming to kill him and had been taking medication.
"He thought the devil was coming to him," said Zargona Ramish, who went to the family's home Tuesday afternoon while Popal's relatives were speaking with police. "He is a very good person. He is not like that. What's wrong with him?"
According to property records, Popal had also lived in Hayward and the Central Valley community of Ceres. Neighbors said he was living in Fremont with his parents.
Ramish said her cousin got married in Afghanistan about a month ago, but that his bride had not yet been able to come to California.
Gittens said the suspect "made some comments" to officers as he was arrested, but he did not elaborate.
Witness Wendy Hagenbuch of San Francisco told CBS 5 she observed the suspect after his arrest sitting "so peaceful" along the curb of Spruce and California streets in handcuffs. "He looked like it was a Sunday afternoon," she said.
The man had a dark mustache and was wearing sneakers and jeans, Hagenbuch said. "He was just an everyday looking guy."
No weapons were found on the suspect, though the car had not been searched, Gittens said. There was no information on whether drugs or alcohol were involved, and it was unclear how fast he was driving, he said.
"It was very chaotic," Gittens said. "Fortunately, we were able to take him into custody."
The mayhem left a scattered trail on city sidewalks and streets.
White sheets covered a bloodstained patch of concrete. A broken pair of eyeglasses lay in the middle of the road at Sutter and Steiner streets amongst a collection of evidence markers. And a lone running shoe sat on the asphalt cordoned off by yellow tape at California and Laurel streets.
Some of the injured were pedestrians and some were motorists.
Jennifer Sawle, 33, of San Francisco, said she was headed eastbound on California Street when she saw the SUV driving recklessly in the other direction, around 1:15 pm.
The driver careened onto Spruce Street and narrowly missed a man crossing the street, which prompted Sawle to call 911. Sawle said it seemed the driver was trying to hit pedestrians intentionally.
Barclay Lynn, 39, of San Francisco, said she and a friend saw the SUV driving away after hitting a motorcyclist.
The SUV "went speeding in reverse on Bush (Street) heading west, weaving in and out of traffic," she said. "The whole right side of his SUV was smashed in."
Popal was taken to the Richmond District police station Tuesday and was on his way to the San Francisco Jail Tuesday night.
District attorney's office spokeswoman Debbie Mesloh said it's unlikely he will be arraigned Wednesday and may be arraigned as late as Friday.
Authorities continued to investigate the spree of collisions late Tuesday night, which led to 13 separate crime scenes throughout the city and some 20 to 25 witnesses who have come forward.
Police are urging anyone who saw any part of the rampage to call San Francisco police Lt. Mahoney at (415) 553-1145.
PING
Big ol' thread with lots of info here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1692148/posts
At least it's the driver this time, instead of the SUV acting on its own.
ISLAM
Place her paperwork on hold until his situation is sorted out.
Probably true about islam, but don't you wish it had been a mexican instead ?
Omeed Aziz Popal with a bride trying to get in from Afghanistan.
Could this person be Middle Eastern?
"These are the things, these are so senseless. They're utterly inexplicable. They're impossible to rationalize. The fact that (Omeed Aziz Popal) felt compelled .... to do what he did is beyond imagination."
Bullshit. Hesperophobia'll do that to you every damned time.
"It's in the book"
(The 'islam is incompatible with Judeo-Christian/American/Human Civilization book,' [AKA the bloody koran] that is)
Since you are upset anyway...................ping
DWI---Driving While Islamic.
We have a Muslim recently returned from Afghanistan, just happening to drive over 15 people, and killing one of them.
Sounds like a replay of the UNC mad Islamic driver.
Nice deflection by the cousin about the devil making him do it.
My bet is Mad Mo made him do it.
Huh huh.
Allah, Satan, what's the dif? They're both the same...and Mad Mo is his mouth piece.
Exactly, since SF will never recognize that one CCW holder in the right place could have stopped this idiot.
But, noooooo....
THOSE FREAKIN' AMISH! Y'NIVVER KIN TELL WHAT THEY'LL DO NEXT!
Does this answer the question WWMD (What would Mohammed Drive)? An SUV of peace... just doing the mad mowing down of innocents that the camels won't do.
Of course, this is not terrorism, right? Notice the name, and his bride being Afghani, but that has no bearing on his behavior! Sheesh! When are we going to stop the nonsense and realize that these peace-loving muslims are really out to get us all!
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