Pasadena radiologist Dharmesh Patel, who allegedly drove his family off a 250-foot cliff in 2023, has had three attempted murder charges against him dismissed after successfully completing a mental health diversion program.
Patel, 45, was admitted to the two-year program in San Mateo County Superior Court in lieu of criminal prosecution. The program required regular psychiatric treatment and court check-ins, which he fulfilled while residing with his parents. The charges were dismissed Monday as he complied with all terms, according to the San Mateo County district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors had alleged that Patel intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff on Pacific Coast Highway in January 2023, with his wife and two young children inside, in an attempt to kill them and himself. Miraculously, all four survived the crash. His wife, Neha, told paramedics that her husband had deliberately attempted to kill the family. Multiple psychologists diagnosed Patel with major depressive disorder, with testimony suggesting he was experiencing a psychotic break at the time.
San Mateo County Dist. Atty. Stephen Wagstaffe, whose office opposed the diversion, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. "We felt that the crime was way too serious," Wagstaffe stated, "and allowing diversion for somebody who had, with premeditation and deliberation, planned to kill his two small children and his wife, as well as himself, was not good for public safety.” He noted that Patel had no prior criminal record and is not required to be on probation.
The dismissal was largely automatic upon completion of the diversion program. Patel had been jailed from the crash in January 2023 until his entry into the program in August 2024. The California Medical Board had previously issued an order preventing him from practicing medicine during the charges and he later surrendered his license, agreeing to a ruling that he had engaged in unprofessional conduct by willfully causing harm to his family. The board's current stance on his eligibility to reapply for a license is unclear.
California's mental health diversion program, established in 2018, aims to prioritize treatment for eligible defendants whose mental illness contributed to their alleged offenses, with exceptions for certain severe crimes. Recent legislation, Assembly Bill 46, has tightened program rules by granting judges more discretion to deny diversion petitions if the defendant poses a public safety risk. Wagstaffe remarked on the perceived leniency of the outcome, stating, "Wow, boy, did he get the break of breaks."
