A road rage incident on Embarcadero Road turned violent this past weekend, with the aggressor using her car as a battering ram and unleashing a chemical assault on a family. The Palo Alto Police have reported the arrest of 26-year-old Mahima Yaqoob of Lakeport following her engagement in a contentious and violent conflict with another motorist and his passengers.
The situation, detailed in the City of Palo Alto's official press release, unfolded last Saturday when a gray Nissan Sentra, driven by Yaqoob, reportedly blocked a man’s attempt to change lanes and subsequently rammed into his vehicle after he made a U-turn. The collision, occurring on the 700 block of Embarcadero Road, escalated further when Yaqoob exited her car, engaged the other motorist with threats, and attacked both him and another adult woman passenger with keys before releasing pepper spray on them. While doing this, the man was attempting to shield his family, four children exposed to the pepper spray, their ages ranging from 1 to 9 years old.
The Palo Alto Fire Department provided medical aid for the victims at the scene. Local police handled the aftermath of the incident. Yaqoob was arrested the following day without incident in South San Francisco and was charged with multiple offenses, including six counts of assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful use of tear gas — both classified as felonies —, as well as four counts of child endangerment, and additional charges related to criminal threats and driving on a suspended license.
Authorities are actively seeking any additional information concerning this assault. They encourage anyone who has insights into the incident to speak up, offering avenues for both named and anonymous tips. The Police Department has specified in their release that calls can be directed to the 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Offering a pathway for the tech-savvy, anonymous tips can also be sent through text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984, or submitted via the “TipNow-Palo Alto” app, designed to serve the digitally inclined, and found both on Google Play and the App Store.
