Authorities in Hawthorne have arrested a man on two counts of murder and a third count of attempted murder after he intentionally drove his Honda sedan off a wharf, killing his two sons in 2015.
The Los Angles Times reports that Ali Elmezayen, an Egyptian national, was arrested for murdering his two autistic sons in November of last year on insurance fraud charges. A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office indicated that a special circumstance allegation had been added to the murder and attempted murder charges because Elmezayen committed the crimes for financial gain. Two years before the fatal crash in April of 2015, investigators learned that Elmezayen had purchased a $6 million insurance policy to cover his family.
Elmezayen was able to escape the submerged vehicle through an open window. He then swam to a ladder on a dock. The Honda went on to sink to a depth of approximately 30 feet of water.
Rescuers were able to save the woman, Rabab Diab, Elmezayen’s domestic partner. However, Elmezayen’s two sons, ages 8 and 11, were strapped into the back seat and died in the crash.
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Elmezayen collected more than $260,000 in insurance monies after what he told investigators was a “tragic accident.” Although the district attorney’s office had declined to file charges against Elmezayen in 2017 due to a “lack of evidence,” federal investigators allege that he intentionally drove his vehicle off of the wharf in an attempt to collect the money on the accidental death policies he took out on his family.
U.S. Attorney, Nick Hanna made a statement to the media regarding the cold-blooded murder of the two boys; “The alleged conduct shocks the conscience, and we will use every tool available to us to ensure that justice is done.”
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