A Florida driver was arrested after allegedly trying to hit members of an LGBTQ running club with his vehicle at a local park, according to the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud, 43, was arrested Monday afternoon for “attempting to hit members of a local running club in a park, making multiple passes and reckless driving before fleeing,” police said in a statement. Press release on Tuesday.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Monday and upon arrival “met with members of a local LGBTQIA+ running club” who reported that an individual was allegedly driving a Ford Bronco pickup truck and was “intentionally” trying to hit the group with his car, authorities said.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud in a police booking photo.
West Palm Beach Police Department
Witnesses told officers that the individual, later identified as El Mahmoud, had “accelerated toward joggers, making a second attempt to hit them, then drove recklessly down sidewalks, across grass and up an embankment before fleeing east,” police said.
Upon further investigation, officials discovered that El Mahmoud “became upset by a perceived comment by a male member of the running club, which led to his agitation and subsequent actions,” police said.
The running club was identified as Night Runners WPB, which hosts walks and runs every Monday and Thursday night, according to ABC’s West Palm Beach, Florida, affiliate. WPBF.
Rudolph Galindo, who has been a part of the club since its inception nine years ago, told ABC News that the suspect’s car was heading toward him after he asked El Mahmoud if he was there for the group of runners, which he said “upset” the suspect.
“While I was talking to some people, I saw out of the corner of my eye that he got into his car and then started accelerating in reverse directly toward me where I was standing in the parking lot,” Galindo said, describing the incident as a “traumatic experience.”
Galindo, 41, said he then began yelling at the 40 other runners in the area to get out of the parking lot, and many hid behind trees.
Seeing the suspect’s car speeding toward the joggers, Galindo said he believes the vehicle could have been traveling at a speed of 60 to 80 mph.
“He definitely had his foot on the gas, full throttle,” Galindo said.
Now Galindo said the club is trying to assure other members that it is safe to participate in their races.
“It was a scary moment. It saddens me that someone could be so aggressive toward a group of people,” Galindo told ABC News.
Shortly after the incident, police said they located El Mahmoud pulling into a parking lot where he attempted to remove the license plate from his SUV. He was then taken into custody.
El Mahmoud has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and one count of reckless driving, police said. He could also be charged with a hate crime, and officials will review his charges for possible enhancements under the state’s hate crimes statute, police said.
El Mahmoud is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. The name of the public defender representing El Mahmoud was not immediately available.
