REDWOOD CITY, California – A California Radiologist Accused of Trying to Kill His Family driving off a cliff along California’s northern coast will receive mental health treatment rather than face trial, a judge has ruled.
Prosecutors charged Dharmesh A. Patel, 43, with attempted murder after the Tesla he was driving plunged off a 250-foot cliff along Pacific Coast Highway in San Mateo County, injuring his wife and two young children. All four survived the Jan. 2, 2023, accident in what one employee called an “absolute miracle.”
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Wednesday he was disappointed with the judge’s decision.
“I am disappointed with the court’s decision, but Judge Jakubowski carefully weighed the evidence and facts and took the opposite tack,” he said.
Patel, who was on a family trip from Pasadena to the Bay Area, will have to complete a two-year outpatient mental health treatment program at a Bay Area hospital for the charges to be dropped, Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski ruled. last week, KRON-TV reported.
Patel’s defense attorney, Joshua Bentley, argued in May that the radiologist qualifies for mental health diversion under California law, the television station reported.
“It’s important to understand why we are here. Not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal. There is no doubt that this is a very serious case. But the law covers exactly this situation,” Bentley told the judge.
Patel poses no danger to the community because he will be under an intensive psychiatric treatment program and will be monitored with a GPS bracelet equipped with a siren, Bentley said.
Deputy District Attorney Dominique Davis argued that Patel should not qualify for a mental health diversion program because he poses “an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety,” KRON-TV reported.
Patel’s wife testified that she does not want her husband to be prosecuted. She said her children miss their father and want him to come home, the television station reported.
Davis said evidence showed that in the weeks leading up to the attempted triple homicide, Patel experienced paranoia and delusions, which are symptoms of schizoaffective disorder.
The judge agreed with Patel’s defense and said in her ruling that Patel has no history of violence and that his diagnosis of major depressive disorder played a significant role in his actions.
Patel, who has been held without bail since his arrest, will be held for a few more weeks before being released to his parents’ home in Belmont, California. He will be monitored by GPS, will have to surrender his driver’s license and passport, and will need to check in with the court weekly, the judge ruled.
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