A tragic turn of events unfolded in Brooklyn last weekend when Miriam Yarimi, a 32-year-old woman, was arrested for causing a crash that resulted in the death of a mother and her two children. According to Gothamist, Yarimi, who was driving with a suspended license, allegedly barreled into a family of pedestrians, claiming the lives of Natasha Saada, 34, and her daughters Diana, 8, and Deborah, 5, while critically injuring Saada's son.
During her court appearance via video link, Yarimi, dressed in a hospital gown, uttered disjointed remarks. "The devil is in my eyes," she reportedly said, further claiming, “The devil is in my eyes. I am haunted inside. I didn't kill anyone. I didn't hurt anyone. Prove it. Show me proof. You have no proof. I didn't hurt anybody. Why am I being placed under arrest? I didn't hurt anyone.” These comments were recounted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Nocella, as noted by Gothamist.
ABC7NY reported expressions of outrage from local leaders, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez spoke to the concern about Yarimi's actions, asserting, "It actually exceeds just being reckless, it's almost being wanton, we’re not going to tolerate that." With a history of numerous speeding tickets since 2023, Yarimi now faces multiple charges, including manslaughter, assault, and criminally negligent homicide. Yarimi’s attorney requested reasonable bail or for her to be released; however, the judge ordered her to be held without bail, citing her as a flight risk.
The virtual arraignment held yesterday gave further insight into Yarimi’s state after the arrest, with the assistant district attorney revealing more of Yarimi’s statements that included, "Uncut me... where is my daughter... my daughter's always in my heart." Yarimi also insisted, "I need my lawyer... People are out to get me... I need a workup to get whatever is in my body out," as quoted by ABC7NY. Despite the gravity of her alleged actions, her attorney emphasized that the criminal complaint does not specifically accuse her of speeding, or whether she saw the family as they crossed the street.
