Thread: Man pleads guilty in NC university car attack -muslim

Man pleads guilty in NC university car attack
By MARLON A. WALKER Associated Press Writer © 2008 The Associated Press
Aug. 12, 2008, 12:27PM
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — A former student accused of plowing his sport utility vehicle into a campus crowd, hitting nine people, in a self-professed bid to avenge Muslim deaths overseas pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree attempted murder.

Mohammed Taheri-Azar, 25, was charged with nine counts of attempted murder and nine counts of felonious assault in connection with the March 3, 2006, attack at a popular outdoor gathering spot at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

"He has repeatedly stated that he intended to kill people, made statements on camera that it was his intention," Orange County District Attorney James Woodall said during a court hearing.

As part of the plea deal, the assault charges were dismissed. The remaining charges will be consolidated into two counts of attempted first-degree murder for sentencing purposes.

None of the people hit had to be hospitalized overnight, and most planned to attend Taheri-Azar's sentencing hearing Aug. 26. Taheri-Azar faces up to 40 years in prison for each count.

He has told investigators and reporters he wanted to avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world that he blamed on the United States. Taheri-Azar is a naturalized citizen from Iran who grew up near Charlotte and graduated from UNC.

Authorities said Taheri-Azar was driving an SUV between 10 mph and 30 mph when he drove onto campus and went through the outdoor hangout known as the Pit. He had rented the vehicle a day earlier.

He waited in his vehicle for police for about 15 minutes and told them he was the man they were looking for. Taheri-Azar had written a letter to police, which they found in his apartment.

The letter said he intended to kill people in retaliation for U.S. involvement in Muslim deaths. He said he chose to rent a four-wheel-drive Jeep Cherokee because it was better equipped for what he planned to do, Woodall said.

Taheri-Azar wrote that he had been thinking about the attack for several months

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/ ... 39067.html

what a D___A__! THere ARE NO VIRGINS IN HELL!!