PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL – A 43-year-old Florida man faces enhanced hate crime charges after authorities say he drove his vehicle at approximately 40 members of an LGBTQ running group gathered at a county park.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving, and a hate crime enhancement following the November 24 incident at Howard Park.
According to investigators, El Mahmoud drove his Ford Bronco directly at the Night Runners club members who had gathered for their twice-weekly run.
Rudolph Galindo, a club member, told authorities the confrontation began when someone asked El Mahmoud if he was attending the run. The suspect allegedly became agitated, entered his vehicle, and accelerated toward the group.
“This car is flying at you. I have never seen a car fly that fast right towards me,” Galindo recounted.
The vehicle traveled through the parking lot, onto sidewalks, and across grass before El Mahmoud fled the area. Officers apprehended him several blocks away.
According to a probable cause affidavit, El Mahmoud told detectives he felt “offended and enraged” by the question, claiming he believed it represented “sexual advances.”
El Mahmoud was denied bond at a December 3 hearing. The hate crime enhancement was added on December 22.
In a show of solidarity, the Night Runners returned to Howard Park the following week with 80 participants, double their usual attendance.
