SANTA ANA, CA, (LAI) – An Orange County Superior Court judge has ruled that David Steven Abbott, 33, was legally insane when he fatally beat 70-year-old Rahmatolah “Davey” Yaghoubi in Anaheim on Memorial Day 2021. As a result of this ruling, Abbott is expected to be committed to a mental health facility indefinitely.
Abbott, who had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, was in the midst of his trial when discussions for a plea deal began between his defense attorney and prosecutors. The jury was dismissed, leaving the decision on Abbott’s mental state at the time of the murder to Judge Sheila Hanson.
The violent episode unfolded on May 15, 2021, when Abbott, out on bail, attacked Luis Javier Vera and subsequently Yaghoubi. Abbott pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for Yaghoubi’s death and felony assault for the earlier attack on Vera. Despite being sentenced to eight years to life in prison, his sentence will be suspended until his sanity is restored, a decision that has been scheduled for review on February 16.