LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. prosecutors have charged an Egyptian father with fraudulently collecting insurance payouts after driving his family off a Los Angeles pier and killing his two severely autistic sons.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that Ali Elmezayen (EL-mah-ZION) had purchased $6 million in insurance policies to cover his family in the event of an accidental death two years before the 2015 deaths.
They say Elmezayen intentionally drove off a wharf with his partner and two children inside the car.
Elmezayen swam to safety and his partner, Rabab Diab, who couldn't swim, was rescued by a fisherman. Two boys, ages 8 and 13, were strapped in child seats and drowned.
Prosecutors say Elmezayen collected more than $260,000 in insurance payouts and wired most of the money back to Egypt.
Federal prosecutors say the Los Angeles district attorney would have to bring any charges related to the deaths. A district attorney spokesman was looking into the status of the case.
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
