David Attias
| David Attias | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Isla Vista massacre |
Criminal penalty | sentence of up to 60 years at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino.[1] |
| Parents | Daniel Attias (father) |
| Conviction(s) | murder, driving under the influence [2] |
| Killings | |
| Date | February 3, 2001 |
| Location(s) | Isla Vista, California, United States |
| Killed | 4 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Weapon(s) | Car |
David Attias is a former student of the University of California, Santa Barbara who became known for his perpetration of the Isla Vista massacre. He was held in Patton State Hospital in September 2002 until ruled to be release in September 2012.[3][4]
Personal
Attias is from the Los Angeles area. He is the son of television director Daniel Attias.[5]
Murders
On February 23, 2001, Attias struck and killed four people in the community of Isla Vista, California with his car, a 1991 Saab. He was initially arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter.
As further details emerged, witnesses reported that after emerging from his vehicle Attias yelled, "I am the angel of death" and behaved erratically, contributing to the suspicion that he was under the influence of a controlled substance.[6]
On June 11, 2002, Attias was convicted in a jury trial of four counts of second-degree murder. He was acquitted of driving under the influence.[7] One week later, the same jury found that Attias was legally insane. This resulted in a sentence of up to 60 years in a state mental hospital.[1]
Insanity ruling
Attias was ruled legally insane after his conviction, which resulted in him serving his sentence in a state hospital instead of a prison. This led to wide community outrage over the insanity ruling.[8]
The Attias case sparked wider debate on how the insanity ruling should apply to the fate of those convicted of murder in California, as it is possible that Attias will ultimately serve a greatly reduced sentence in a state hospital as opposed to what his prison term would have been had he not been found insane.[9]
Release
In May 2012, Attias asked the courts to transfer him from Patton to an outpatient psychiatric facility, stating he has his bipolar disorder under control. The news of his request prompted expressions of concern about his potential risk of relapse or danger from survivors and family of his victims.[10]
May 5, 2012, Santa Barbara Judge Thomas Adams ruled that David Attias no longer poses a danger to the health and safety of others or himself and should be released from the confines of Patton State Mental Hospital where he’s been held since 2002.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Driver Who Killed 4 Ruled Insane". Associated Press. February 11, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ↑ Finz, Stacy (February 27, 2001). "Teenager Charged With Murder In Car Deaths / In Isla Vista, friends and family turned out for a vigil at the spot where the victims were killed". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ↑ Welsh, Nick (September 4, 2012). "Conditional Release for David Attias Isla Vista Car-Killer to Get Supervised Treatment in Ventura". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Lagos, Marisa (September 20, 2002). "Attias Begins Sentence in Hospital". Daily Nexus. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Johnson, John (May 29, 2002). "TV Director Testifies in Son's Murder Trial". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Lagos, Marisa; Siverts, Jennifer (February 26, 2001). "UCSB Freshman Held on Vehicular Homicide Charge". Daily Nexus. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ↑ Lagos, Marisa (June 6, 2002). "Jury Finds Attias Guilty of Murder". Daily Nexus. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ↑ Overend, William (July 13, 2002). "Attias Sent to Mental Hospital". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Lagos, Marisa (June 21, 2002). "Ex-student ruled insane in car deaths". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Chen, Ted; Costes, Neil (May 29, 2012). "David Attias Seeks Transfer From Mental Hospital". NBC South California. Retrieved September 4, 2012.