Sanity Phase Begins In “Angel Of Death”Trial

The trial of a former U.C. Santa Barbara student convicted of killing four pedestrians with his car moves today to the sanity phase. David Attias was found guilty yesterday of four counts of second-degree murder. He was found innocent of one count of being under the influence with intent to cause bodily harm. Attias showed no emotion when the verdict was read, but his mother sobbed quietly in the courtroom. Attias drove his 1991 Saab down a crowded street in Isla Vista on February 23rd, 2001. The speeding car struck nine parked cars and five people. Witnesses testified Attias then got out of the car and shouted “I am the angel of death.”