SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — On Thursday, the attorney for Mohanned Abdulkareem, a man accused of murdering a beloved El Cajon dentist, Doctor Benjamin Harouni, asked for an independent evaluation to see if he is mentally fit to stand trial.
This comes after a court-appointed doctor reported, and Abdulkareen himself said that he is able to do so.
"[It] gives us comfort to know that Ben was loved. He’s going to be in our hearts forever, and we know justice is going to be served,” Hilda Harouni, Benjamin’s mother, said.
On Feb. 29, Abdulkareem, described as a disgruntled customer by police, is accused of going into an El Cajon dental office and shooting Hariouni and two other employees.
Dawning black shirts with photos of their son, his parents—Hilda and Jack Harouni—along with friends and family came from near and far to court to show their support for the departed dentist.
“It’s impossible to do it without family and support,” Hilda Harouni said. “Life has been sucked out of us because Benjamin was the center of our household.
According to Hilda Harouni, ever since Benjamin's absence, Hilda Harouni and Jack Harouni have been homebound and unable to work.
“We’re sticking together in order to make [it] through the days like this. And there’s going to be many days coming like this,” Jack Harouni said.
The judge presided over the case, saying a court-appointed doctor found Abdulkareem mentally competent to stand trial.
Abdulkareem’s attorney requested the court grant an independent evaluation of their client’s mental competency despite Abdulkareem agreeing with the court-appointed doctor’s findings.
The judge granted that second evaluation as this family goes through the process of getting the justice they want.
“We go through this obviously slowly. This is the nature of the judicial system. But I believe at the end of the day, whenever that is, justice will be served,” Jack Harouni said.
The court date for Abdulkareem is July 22 at 1:30 pm.
