The wife of the California doctor accused of intentionally driving his Tesla off a cliff along with her and their two children aboard has urged authorities to not prosecute him.
Dharmesh Patel, 41, pleaded not guilty last week to 3 counts of attempted murder and two enhancements — for the severe injuries his wife, Neha, 41, and 7-year-old daughter suffered.
But defense attorney Josh Bentley shocked the courtroom when he said Neha doesn’t want her husband prosecuted – despite the fact that she reportedly screamed that he “intentionally tried to kill us” to first responders, KNTV reported.
San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher said victims who decline to cooperate with police are common in cases of domestic violence.
“No matter whether she is cooperative, we imagine we’ve sufficient evidence to prove the fees beyond an inexpensive doubt,” he said within the Redwood City courtroom.
He said it was commonplace for domestic violence victims to not need to cooperate.
It’s a “very dynamic situation every time you may have this violence inside a family setting,” Gallagher added.
Authorities have said it was a “miracle” that the family survived the electrical automobile’s harrowing plunge in the course of the attempted murder-suicide on the notorious stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway often known as the Devil’s Slide on Jan. 2.
Patel, a radiologist at Windfall Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles, suffered “serious lower body injuries” and was hospitalized under guard before being booked into jail on Jan. 20.
He limped noticeably as he walked as much as the microphone to enter his not guilty plea on Thursday, when the judge issued a no-contact order that forestalls Patel from communicating together with his family.
The couple’s 4-year-old son suffered only minor injuries within the incident.
Investigators haven’t cited a motive within the case.
Patel is being held without bail pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 20.
