The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office released additional information and a sketch of the suspect in a hit-and-run case that is under investigation as a hate crime.
According to the press release, “a hate crime occurred” at 1:50 p.m. last Friday when “a Stanford student of Syrian descent” was hit by a vehicle as he crossed the intersection of Campus Drive and Ayrshire Farm Lane.
The suspect reportedly shouted “f*** you and your people” to the victim, Muslim Arab student Abdulwahab Omira ’23, after accelerating and striking Omira, according to an AlertSU sent on Nov. 4.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that Omira believed he was targeted because he was wearing a shirt with “Damascus” written in Arabic. Damascus is the capital of Syria, where Omira is from.
Omira described the suspect as an unshaven, white male in his mid-20s, wearing a gray shirt and prescription glasses.
The suspect’s vehicle was described as a black Toyota SUV with a tire mounted on the back, with potential damage from the collision on the front passenger side bumper.
Deputies believe people may have been walking near the area at the time of the incident and may have witnessed the incident, according to the press release. The Sheriff’s Office asked that anyone with information on the active investigation reach out to them.
Originally posted 2023-11-10 10:12:54.