The driver who targeted West Palm Beach’s LGBTQ running club in November with his SUV has now been charged with a hate crime enhancement. 

He was previously charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless driving. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.  

The attempted attack took place Nov. 25, where the driver made multiple attempts to strike members of the club before fleeing the scene. No one was physically injured. 

Arrest records shed some light on the alleged motive. 

According to the probable cause affidavit, the suspect — 43-year-old Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud — confessed to driving toward the runners and told detectives he became “offended and enraged” after being approached by a male member of the group. He claimed he believed the man was “making sexual advances toward him” and said he found the perceived interaction disrespectful. 

But another court record claims that the suspect also suffers from a history of mental illness.  

“El mahmoud has a history of mental illness. El Mahmoud does not appear to be able to assist his counsel in his defense, nor does counsel believe he will be able to manifest appropriate courtroom behavior should he have to appear in court in the future,” reads a motion for experts to evaluate defendant for competency.  

For the members of the club who witnessed the attempted attack, it was a terrifying experience.  

Barry Lowenthal described the scene as sudden, violent, and surreal. 

“All of us ran out of the parking area, up onto the grass,” he said. “A lot of us went behind a tree because we just didn’t know where he was going to come and what he was going to do. We were all physically threatened. We were all attacked.” 

The next club meetup saw the group come together with a record turnout with about 80 runners showing up.  

“This is what community looks like,” Roger Jackson, the group’s president, said at the time, emphasizing that the club would not be intimidated or scared away. 

Detectives noted El Mahmoud initially expressed no remorse before later saying he was “sorry but not regretful.” 

“I felt terrified,” said Rudolph Galindo, one of the founders of the club. He said the driver came within two feet of hitting him. “He came flying through [...] If anybody had been out in that way, their life would have been over.” 

Run Club Rallies With Record Turnout; Suspect Cites Gay Panic Defense in Attempted Attack