Florida Man Tried To Run Down LGBTQ Runners in SUV
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud faces assault and reckless driving charges for allegedly targeting LGBTQ runners with his vehicle.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud was arrested in West Palm Beach after allegedly trying to run down members of an LGBTQ running group during a meet-up in a local park. The Florida man faces two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and one count of reckless driving.
El Mahmoud could also face hate crime charges or bias enhancements for allegedly targeting the group because of their sexual orientation.
According to West Palm Beach police, El Mahmoud allegedly took offense at what he perceived as a comment about his sexual orientation when a runner asked if he was at Howard Park for the “Night Runners West Palm Beach” group’s regular meet-up.
Rudolph Gallindo, the club member who approached El Mahmoud, told WPBF he stepped away after El Mahmoud denied being there for the running group, although he noted that the 43-year-old appeared “aggravated” by his question.
Moments after Gallindo walked away, El Mahmoud allegedly got into his vehicle and drove toward the roughly 40 runners gathered in the park.
“He got into his car, pulled out, accelerating, pedal to the metal and coming right at me where I was standing,” Gallindo said. “I have never seen a car fly that fast right towards me in my entire life.”
Gallindo said the runners fled behind two trees as El Mahmoud began driving erratically. He added that El Mahmoud sped through the parking lot, made a U-turn, and drove back toward the group.
“We were behind a tree, but at this point, it seemed like he didn’t have any limits of what he was wanting to do or willing to do,” Gallindo said.
Cell phone video from the scene shows the SUV hop a curb, tear across the grass, and then speed onto Okeechobee Boulevard toward downtown West Palm Beach.
Police responded around 8:20 p.m. and spoke with club members, who described the Ford Bronco SUV used in the incident.
Officers issued a bulletin for the SUV. Shortly after, a man matching the suspect’s description was seen pulling into a parking garage in the 700 block of North Dixie Highway and removing his license plate. Police responded and took the driver, later identified as El Mahmoud, into custody.
Gallindo told WPBF he’s unsure whether El Mahmoud meant only to scare the runners or intended to hurt someone.
“It’s difficult to say,” he said. “He certainly had the ability to do so, and I don’t think he would have been upset if he did hit somebody.”
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