El Cajon

A dramatic tape recording of a frantic phone call from Toufic (Tom) Naddi was played in court Monday. On the tape, he admitted killing his wife, her parents and two of her relatives in his El Cajon home.

The recording was played on the first day of Naddi’s murder trial stemming from the June 1, 1985, fatal shootings. The rest of the recording will be heard today.

Naddi, 47, told El Cajon Police Officer Richard Day that he killed four people and then corrected himself and said he committed five slayings.

“They hurt me. I killed them with a .22 rifle. If you don’t kill me, I’ll kill you first!” Naddi exclaimed on the tape.

“My wife has been molested by her father. I’m drinking, but I’m not drunk. If you don’t shoot me, I’m going to shoot you,” said Naddi.

“I cannot live in jail. Are you going to listen to me or I’ll kill everyone,” said Naddi.

Day calmly told Naddi to give his name and address and to put away his gun. Naddi was heard begging Day to write down all his remarks.

“These people hurt me the maximum. I couldn’t take it anymore! Please help me. . . . Nobody can help me. I’m going to shoot. I want you to kill me. They came from Jordan to take away my kids,” said Naddi.

Day suggested Naddi let officers inside the home to treat the injured, but Naddi said “there’s nobody to treat” because all were dead.

Naddi said he wanted officers to take care of his two children, ages 3 and 5, who were playing in the front yard. The children have since been returned to Naddi’s relatives in Beirut, Lebanon, where he is from.

Naddi has pleaded innocent to murder by reason of insanity. If he is found guilty and sane when he committed the slayings, he could face the death penalty.

Killed in the rampage were his wife, Aida, 26; her father, Habib Sabbagh, 73; her mother, Lillian Sabbagh, 58; her brother, Michael Sabbagh, 38, and her cousin, Osami Mashimi, 38.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Terry O’Rourke is conducting the trial.