Isla Vista massacre
Encyclopedia
The Isla Vista Massacre was an intentional vehicular assault which occurred in the student community of Isla Vista, California
near the University of California, Santa Barbara
campus.
On the evening of February 23, 2001, just after 11pm UCSB student David Attias
drove his 1991 Saab
down the 6500 block of Sabado Tarde Road at high speed into nine parked cars and five pedestrians, killing four and critically injuring a fifth. Attias ran the stop sign at the intersection of Sabado Tarde and Camino Pescadero at around 50 mph, during peak hours for foot traffic in Isla Vista. After slamming his Saab into two parked vehicles, he swerved and hit the pedestrians, sideswiping seven other vehicles in his attempt.
When his vehicle came to a stop, Attias got out and began (or continued, reports vary about whether he was yelling while driving) shouting about darkness and government plots, according to witnesses, he yelled "I am the Angel of Death!" and attempted to pick up victim Ruth Levy by the arm, but quickly lost interest, as he was surrounded by bystanders.
Police arrived shortly after the incident, and had to extricate Attias from a growing crowd. An unidentified first responder administered CPR to Arthur Levy, the sole surviving victim. In the initial aftermath, it was unclear if drugs were involved, as well as if the attack was intentional. Blood tests later showed that Attias was under the influence of marijuana and Lidocaine
, neither were deemed significant to the incident.
and five counts of felony driving under the influence. Residents of his hall told police and the campus paper that Attias had been known for his erratic behavior, including stalking of another student. Several students referred to him, with rolled eyes, as "Crazy Dave" and "Tweaker." The case received additional media attention because Attias is the son of prominent Hollywood TV director Daniel Attias. Attias plead not guilty by reason of insanity, and the following trial sparked significant interest.
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. One week later, the same jury found that Attias was legally insane. This resulted in a sentence of up to 60 years at Patton State Hospital
in San Bernardino
.
The 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 than what his prison term would have been had he not been found insane.
student Ruth Levy. Albert Levy, 27, brother to Ruth, was critically injured but survived. His injuries consisted of crushed legs and a severely battered head.
Isla Vista, California
Isla Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 23,096. The majority of residents are college students at nearby University of California, Santa Barbara or at Santa...
near the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
campus.
On the evening of February 23, 2001, just after 11pm UCSB student David Attias
David Attias
David Attias is a former student of the University of California, Santa Barbara and current patient of Patton State Hospital. He is most noteworthy for his perpetration of the Isla Vista massacre.-Personal:...
drove his 1991 Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
down the 6500 block of Sabado Tarde Road at high speed into nine parked cars and five pedestrians, killing four and critically injuring a fifth. Attias ran the stop sign at the intersection of Sabado Tarde and Camino Pescadero at around 50 mph, during peak hours for foot traffic in Isla Vista. After slamming his Saab into two parked vehicles, he swerved and hit the pedestrians, sideswiping seven other vehicles in his attempt.
When his vehicle came to a stop, Attias got out and began (or continued, reports vary about whether he was yelling while driving) shouting about darkness and government plots, according to witnesses, he yelled "I am the Angel of Death!" and attempted to pick up victim Ruth Levy by the arm, but quickly lost interest, as he was surrounded by bystanders.
Police arrived shortly after the incident, and had to extricate Attias from a growing crowd. An unidentified first responder administered CPR to Arthur Levy, the sole surviving victim. In the initial aftermath, it was unclear if drugs were involved, as well as if the attack was intentional. Blood tests later showed that Attias was under the influence of marijuana and Lidocaine
Lidocaine
Lidocaine , Xylocaine, or lignocaine is a common local anesthetic and antiarrhythmic drug. Lidocaine is used topically to relieve itching, burning and pain from skin inflammations, injected as a dental anesthetic or as a local anesthetic for minor surgery.- History :Lidocaine, the first amino...
, neither were deemed significant to the incident.
Trial
Attias was charged with four counts of murder, four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligenceNegligence
Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...
and five counts of felony driving under the influence. Residents of his hall told police and the campus paper that Attias had been known for his erratic behavior, including stalking of another student. Several students referred to him, with rolled eyes, as "Crazy Dave" and "Tweaker." The case received additional media attention because Attias is the son of prominent Hollywood TV director Daniel Attias. Attias plead not guilty by reason of insanity, and the following trial sparked significant interest.
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. One week later, the same jury found that Attias was legally insane. This resulted in a sentence of up to 60 years at Patton State Hospital
Patton State Hospital
Patton State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in San Bernardino, California.Opened in 1893 as the Southern California State Asylum for the Insane and Inebriates, it was renamed Patton State Hospital after Harry Patton, a member of the first Board of Managers, in 1927.Patton is a state...
in San Bernardino
San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California is a large city in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California.San Bernardino may also refer to:-Landforms:*San Bernardino , a torrent that flows through the Italian province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola...
.
The 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 than what his prison term would have been had he not been found insane.
Victims
Four people were killed in the assault: 20-year-old UCSB students Nicholas Bourdakis and Christoper Divis, 27-year-old San Francisco resident Elie Israel, and 20-year-old Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara City College
Santa Barbara City College is a two-year community college founded in 1909. It is located on a campus right over the beach in the city of Santa Barbara, California, USA. SBCC offers associate degrees in English, Social Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, and occupational and...
student Ruth Levy. Albert Levy, 27, brother to Ruth, was critically injured but survived. His injuries consisted of crushed legs and a severely battered head.