Welcome to Arrest Stories. A forty-three-year-old man was arrested in West Palm Beach after allegedly driving his SUV at members of an LGBTQ running club in what police describe as multiple intentional attempts to strike the runners. Here's what may have happened.
On Monday evening at approximately eight twenty p.m., West Palm Beach Police responded to a park along the thirteen hundred block of Parker Avenue following reports of a dangerous incident involving a Ford Bronco SUV and members of a local LGBTQIA plus running club.
According to police reports, Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud became upset over a perceived comment made by a male member of the running group. Rudolph Galindo had asked El Mahmoud if he was there for the running group, which apparently bothered the suspect.
What happened next, according to authorities, was a terrifying sequence of events. Police say El Mahmoud drove his Ford Bronco SUV directly toward the group of runners, accelerating as he approached them. After the initial attempt, investigators report that El Mahmoud made a second deliberate pass at the running club members, again trying to strike them with his vehicle.
The incident escalated as El Mahmoud allegedly drove recklessly across sidewalks, through grass areas, and up an embankment before fleeing the scene eastbound. One witness described the experience, stating "Fear and terror. It was an experience that I have never felt before."
Another person present recounted how club members sought shelter, saying "There was a tree over her which was the one I was at so we started getting behind that tree. We had some people here and thankfully there's this large banyan tree that's here that a lot of people were able to move behind."
Police described the incident as El Mahmoud "attempting to strike members of a local running club at a park, making multiple passes and driving recklessly before fleeing."
El Mahmoud was arrested Monday evening following the incident.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.