The radiologist accused of driving his family off a cliff near Devil’s Slide early last year was cleared to be released from jail Monday as part of a mental health diversion program.
Dharmesh Patel, 43, was given the green light to live with his parents in Belmont as part of the two-year treatment program, which was created by state lawmakers in 2018 to help stem the tide of mental illness in jails and prisons. If he successfully completes the program, the three attempted murder charges filed against him would be dropped.
Appearing in a red jail jumpsuit, Patel spoke little during the brief hearing, which came nearly a year after his attorney first applied for him to participate in the program. Patel only replied “yes” when asked whether he understood the lengthy conditions of his participation, which include avoiding all contact with his family and not practicing medicine.
He had been held without bail since January 2023, when authorities say he drove his family’s Tesla off Highway 1 and down a 330-foot cliff onto a rocky beach north of Half Moon Bay. He later pleaded not guilty, claiming the family’s Tesla had been experiencing tire issues that may have caused the crash. That narrative ran counter to statements his wife made to first responders in the moments after the crash, when she complained that her husband was “depressed” and that “he purposely drove off” the cliff.
Patel’s mental state soon took a central role in the case.
Psychologists later testified that the crash appeared to be a desperate bid by Patel to kill his family amid concerns that his children — ages 4 and 7 at the time of the crash — could be forced into sex trafficking by shadowy kidnappers tied to Jeffrey Epstein. His fears were rooted in delusions that also touched on the nation’s fentanyl crisis and the war in Ukraine, according to court testimony.Last month, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski said Patel was eligible to participate in the mental health program. In doing so, she overruled the objections of San Mateo County prosecutors, who suggested the radiologist was misdiagnosed and a risk to others.
“He wants to continue psychiatric treatment,” Jakubowski said at the June hearing. “The court believes he now realized the importance of being forthright.” Further, he appears to have a strong support system ready to help him get better, the judge added.
With his release, Patel must now undergo an intensive treatment program overseen by the head of Stanford University’s forensic psychiatric fellowship, which includes routine visits to multiple clinicians. He is barred from contacting his wife or children, must wear a GPS device and cannot leave San Mateo County except to receive treatment. He also cannot practice medicine while in the program.
