Ritu Jha-
Pasadena radiologist Dharmesh Patel, who is accused of trying to kill his family by driving his car into the Devil’s Slide cliff in San Mateo county, California, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, according to Stephen M. Wagstaffe, District Attorney, San Mateo County.
Wagstaffe told indica that in the February 9 court hearing, defendant Patel – represented by high-profile criminal attorney Joshua Bentley – pleaded not guilty to all charges and waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing.
On January 30, Wagstaffe charged Patel with three counts of attempted murder along with domestic violence.
The radiologist was arrested on January 3 and was jailed on January 20 after being released from Stanford Hospital.
The next hearing is set for March 20. Patel remains in custody on no-bail status. Sergeant Javier Acosta told indica that Patel is placed in a standard cell with other inmates at the San Mateo county jail.
Wagstaffe told indica that Patel’s wife Neha Patel has retained an attorney, too. “We have been told by members of the Patel family that the wife does have an attorney, but there has been no contact from such an attorney. Perhaps they are in the process of getting an attorney.”
Wagstaffe’s office said they have enough evidence to convince the court that Patel’s act was intentional.
The 41-year-old was driving his Tesla with his wife and two children aged seven and four on the southbound highway after a family holiday in the Bay Area.
According to the police, after leaving the Lantos Tunnel, Patel drove car up hill at Devil’s Slide, turned off the highway onto a dirt area and then turned over the cliff and dropped 250 feet to rocks and surf below. All four survived, with minor injuries to one child.
The police said the motive is unclear.
Devil’s Slide is a name given to a steep, rocky coastal promontory located about midway between Montara and the Linda Mar District of Pacifica. The terrain is characterized by steep, eroded slopes with natural gradients ranging between 30 and 50%.
On the chances of the case going to a jury trial, Wagstaffe said that it cannot be said with any certainty at present whether it will. “Mr. Patel has a right to a jury trial and it is his choice whether to exercise that right,” the DA told indica.
He said such cases take some time to get to trial. “We cannot predict, but it could be late this year or in 2024, and it depends on whether Mrs. Patel will be a witness. This will be decided by my prosecuting attorney or by (the defendant’s attorney) Mr. Bentley. That decision has not been made at this time.”
Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Patel appeared behind a partially opened glass window. Witness statements and video footage from the nearby Tom Lantos tunnels acted as evidence against Patel. Patel was charged on the basis of the combination of witness testimonies, video evidence taken from Tom Lantos Tunnel, and an incriminating statement his wife made to paramedics during the rescue.
Wagstaffe called the incident “miraculous.” Firefighters told media that they go there all the time for cars falling over the cliff and the people never survive. “This was an absolute miracle.”
Patel’s neighbors in Pasadena seem be in shock over Patel’s alleged act. When indica approached one of his neighbors who was earlier quoted in the local media as calling the Patels “a happy couple”, they refused to talk, saying they do not want to get involved in a law-enforcement issue.
The local Indian American community has not responded specifically to this incident.
