The outcome of a contentious vehicular assault trial has gripped San Mateo County, ending with Omeed Sean Adibi being sentenced to 16 years in prison. Adibi, who at 23 has been at the center of a legal storm since 2020, was convicted of five counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of hit and run in an incident that severely injured four teens, a post from the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office reported. Following the conviction and in light of the injuries sustained by the juveniles, Adibi was facing multiple years behind bars.

Omeed Sean Adibi (23) sentenced to 16 years in prison, previously found guilty by jury of 5 felony cts ADW & 2 cts hit & run. In Feb '20, Adibi struck (2) 12yr old & (2) 13yr old boys with his vehicle & then a fire hydrant, fleeing the scene, dragging the hydrant down the street pic.twitter.com/oe3SPdQ9eG

— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) August 13, 2024

Initially, had Adibi been convicted of attempted murder, life in prison could have been his fate. However, after deliberation, the jury found him guilty of lesser charges, a decision detailed in a report by Hoodline. The narrative of the trial tested the community, as those four boys, two aged 12 and the other pair 13 at the time of the assault, are left to navigate a future marred by the memory and trauma of that day when the fire hydrant was dragged by Adibi's fleeing vehicle.

During the trial, attention was turned towards Adibi's defense as his lawyer, Jon McDougall, indicated his relief upon the jury's decision, "We feel vindicated by the jury," he conveyed to Mercury News via Hoodline. Testimonies were heard, weighing heavily against competing psychological assessments that pointed to Adibi’s mental health issues, such as bipolar disorder and ADHD, which his attorneys argued played a part in his actions on that fateful day.

In a heart-wrenching recollection, one mother shared with the court her son's prolonged recovery, echoing the deep physical and mental scars left by the incident. It was during these testimonies when families experienced the wounds, afresh and exposed for the courtroom to bear witness against the backdrop of Adibi's plea for understanding, that the boy's psychiatric evaluations possibly shaped his impulsive response to a teenage prank gone wrong. This narrative stood stark, as an argument was presented by Adibi's attorney around his client's disposition to take responsibility and his rebuffed attempts at remorse when the court rejected a mental health diversion program.