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| More on the Afghan rampager who ran over 14 people in San Franciso |
| 2006-08-31 |
| Hattip Gateway Pundit, who has a nice little round up on the subject, with photos and a map. Omeed Aziz Popal, now in custody for a fatal hit-and-run rampage that apparently began in Fremont and ended in San Francisco, has a history of mental problems and suffered an apparent mental breakdown Tuesday on the way to a job interview, family members and his attorney said Tuesday. But those involved in the investigation -- speaking on condition of anonymity -- discount any mental illness, saying the 29-year-old Afghanistan native seemed coherent, unrepentant and claimed that he repeatedly drove at pedestrians because he "just wanted to.'' Which doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't nuts. According to his attorney, Majeed Samara, Popal suffered a breakdown about five months ago and had to be hospitalized. "He woke up and started freaking out,'' he said. The family took Popal to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont for treatment, but he was released. "It looks like he felt better, but after that, he started getting worse.'' About two months ago, Popal falsely confessed to killing someone in San Francisco, Samara said. He said Popal was interviewed by investigators in Fremont and his statement turned out to be a "John Karr confession,'' referring to the man recently released in the killing of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. Popal's prior contact with law enforcement, authorities say, amounted to a string of four traffic tickets in Fremont and separate minor citations in Pleasanton and Palo Alto since 2003. He was twice cited for driving in carpool lanes. He was also twice cited on seat belt violations, once for an unsafe lane change and once for going beyond the limit line. He also had a dismissed citation for speeding out of Turlock in Stanislaus County last year. Not a law-abiding driver, it seems, but I've a record of driving above the speed limit -- I s'pose I'll have to be careful not to get caught running down large numbers of apparently random people. A month ago, the one-time autoworker returned home after getting married in his native Afghanistan, his family said. There was a wedding celebration two weeks ago. Homa Aziz, a cousin who lives in Hayward, said that Popal, who was studying auto mechanics at WyoTech, formerly known as the Sequoia Institute, intended to bring his wife from Afghanistan to settle in the area. Hamid Nekrawesh, another cousin, said that he joked with Popal before he went to Kabul about him becoming a man. On Tuesday, Nekrawesh said, Popal was to go to an interview for a job with an employment agency in San Francisco. Neighbors in Fremont recalled that Popal also had worked for New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. auto plant in Fremont, which manufactures Toyotas and Pontiacs. They said he lived there with his parents, two sisters and brother in a middle-class neighborhood on Cabrillo Drive in Fremont. Neighbors say the family lived on Cabrillo Drive for three years and was known for frequent garage sales in which they would sell everything from DVDs to household appliances. Essentially an informal second-hand shop? The opportunities America offers to those willing to work hard! Records show that Popal's parents declared bankruptcy in 1998 when they were living in Hayward. The reporters were really digging for background information. Popal also owns a tan stucco home in the Stanislaus County town of Ceres, where a woman who rents from him described him as a quiet man. He had a house all ready to move the new wife into. No doubt his father purchased it out of the family funds. Not one of those mythical poor, ignorant jihadis driven to desperation by the situation in [fill in the blank]. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #14 More |
| Posted by: tipper 2006-08-31 21:54 |
| #13 Maybe the SUV was "bipolar"? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-08-31 21:32 |
| #12 Damn, now wouldn't Grand Rampager be a fine name for a SUV. I can only assume that would be the top-of-the-line model for the Dodge Rampager? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-31 19:54 |
| #11 'moose, you're assuming he has a brain. Microencephalopathy explains much of the symptomology we currently identify as Islam. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-31 19:52 |
| #10 I think we can resolve this problem simply enough: just make a thorough biopsy of his brain. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-08-31 18:28 |
| #9 Damn, now wouldn't Grand Rampager be a fine name for a SUV. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-08-31 17:29 |
| #8 "Terrorist" and "freakin' nutzo" are not mutually exclusive. lotp, considering the continued speculation upoon this suspect's mental condition and the potential role Islam might have in his final actions, I'll be happy to resubmit yesterday's post if you have time to comment upon it. I'm interested in your observations. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-31 17:22 |
| #7 None of this matters. This guy killed people with his car. Premeditated. The needle for him. Time for the excuses to end. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2006-08-31 17:07 |
| #6 maybe he is gay and freaked out over the prospect of being with a chick forever |
| Posted by: mhw 2006-08-31 16:46 |
| #5 "Terrorist" and "freakin' nutzo" are not mutually exclusive. |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-08-31 16:15 |
| #4 Nuke him, too! |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-08-31 15:54 |
| #3 One simple question: If this guy's parents knew he was rolling around on a bent axle, why did they fly him overseas for marriage so he could inflict himself upon some poor schnookette? If your collie is off its trolley you don't send it down to the kennel for breeding. I can almost imagine this guy shuffling around the house muttering about killing Jews and infidels while his family dismisses it with; "That just the jihad talking." |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-31 15:51 |
| #2 thx TW, He owns two properties w/ houses. He had a house all ready to move the new wife into. No doubt his father purchased it out of the family funds. Not one of those mythical poor, ignorant jihadis driven to desperation by the situation in [fill in the blank]. ..and maybe father & son have other off the books income? |
| Posted by: RD 2006-08-31 14:41 |
| #1 This is one desparate guy getting out of an arranged marriage. Timelines: just over 5 months ago, his parents inform him he's off to Afghanistan for a forced marriage. 5 months ago, he wakes up "nuts" one day and dammit, he gets released (nice try) 2 months ago - departure date approaches and he falsely confesses to murder - anything to get out of this arrangement. He's released an taken off to Afghanistan for nuptials. 2 weeks ago - the US celebration of the arranged marriage takes place, complete with cousin joshin' about "being a man" and arrival of wife pending, Popal decides he really has to kill to get out of this. Popal has gone to some truly extreme lengths to get himself put away or arrested. Popal is a pansy, most likely, and would rather kill than be killed by his family when found out. Better murder and jail than Humiliation and the family honour-killing. |
| Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-08-31 14:37 |