Jury Finds Carjacker Insane; Victim Was Beaten, Run Over

A Superior Court jury Friday found a South-Central Los Angeles man innocent by reason of insanity after first finding him guilty of beating an Encino woman, pushing her out of her van and then running over her.

Hag Mahmoud Tahir, 35, is scheduled to return to court Sept. 11 when Judge Michael Hoff will decide whether he should be sent to a mental institution.

After a two-hour trial Friday, Tahir was found guilty of carjacking, assault with intent of injury and a felony charge of evading police in the November, 1994, incident.

According to prosecutors, Tahir drove his car in front of a van driven by the woman, cutting her off, and then ran screaming to the van and pounding on the windows, asking to be let in. When the woman opened the door, Tahir climbed in, hit her and ordered her to drive, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Mitch Harris.

After driving a few blocks, Tahir pushed the woman out of the van and accidentally ran over her shoulder. He then led police on a short chase at moderate speeds, stopping at every intersection. He surrendered an hour after the incident began.

Psychiatrists’ reports presented at the trial stated that Tahir was legally insane at the time of the carjacking and is still insane. This prompted the second brief trial on his mental status when the jury found him innocent by means of insanity.

Harris said additional psychiatric reports are expected before a decision is made by Judge Hoff. Tahir’s attorney, Bill McKinney, could not be reached for comment.