After a Muslim student was injured in a hit-and-run on the Stanford campus last Friday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office has released a suspect sketch and a vehicle description in the incident they’re calling a hate crime.
We learned last weekend that a Muslim student of Syrian descent was injured in an apparent targeted hit-and-run at at Campus Drive and Ayrshire Farm Lane last Friday afternoon, with the driver yelling “Fuck you and your people” as he fled the scene. A late Thursday night report from KGO identified the victim as Abdulwahab Omira. That report picked up a Thursday statement from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office calling the incident “a hate crime,” as the victim says he was targeted for wearing a shirt that said “Damascus” in Arabic.
Sketch of man who hit @Stanford student of Syrian descent, yelling, “F- you & your people,” per @SCCoSheriff, investigating hate crime. Victim wore shirt that read “Damascus” in Arabic. Suspect drove Toyota w/rear-mounted tire, possibly 4Runner (stock photos) @JoeyHorta reports pic.twitter.com/JhPzxYLNhh
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) November 10, 2023
KTVU adds that the sheriff's office report also contained a sketch of the suspect and vehicle description, both of which are seen above. The suspect is described as an unshaven white male in his mid-20s, with round glasses and wearing a gray top at the time of the incident last Friday.
We should note that the car pictured is not the car used in the attack, it’s just the same make, model, and color. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office describes the vehicle as a “ a black Toyota SUV with a tire mounted on the rear of the vehicle,” and notes there would likely be damage to the passenger-side front bumper from this collision. The Chronicle’s report on the incident adds that the vehicle is a “black Toyota 4Runner, 2015 or newer, with California plates,” and that the tire mounted on the rear of the vehicle has a Toyota logo.
According to KRON4, the victim Omira was taken to Stanford Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. KGO is reporting that Omira had been active in protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict “for about three weeks.”
NBC News got a statement from Omira this past weekend. “As I lay in my hospital bed, grappling with a reality I had never imagined, I reflect on the importance of spreading love, kindness, and compassion in a world that seems to be steadily succumbing to hatred and prejudice,” he said. “This ordeal has solidified my resolve to advocate for love, understanding, and inclusivity.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at (408) 808-4500, or the Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
