By: Nick Carroway

Before she was jailed for allegedly mowing down a Brooklyn mother and her two daughters in a horrifying crash, Miriam Yarimi had already displayed signs of alarming behavior—including an unhinged hammer attack on a neighbor’s apartment, court documents reveal.

As the New York Post has reported multiple times, Yarimi, a 32-year-old wigmaker from Midwood, spiraled into a violent episode on March 24, 2024, nearly a year before the deadly collision. That evening, according to an eviction petition filed by her landlord, Yarimi flew into a rage in her Avenue P building, pounding on a neighbor’s door while shouting and cursing loudly.

“She was screaming and banging a hammer against the door,” the terrified neighbor recalled to the Post, asking not to be identified. “It was her. No doubt. I have no idea what set her off.”

The harrowing outburst occurred just before 7 p.m. and reportedly took place while a child was inside the targeted apartment. Police sources said the violent door-pounding left puncture marks and damaged the entry system, with the landlord later estimating the repair costs at $3,000.

Despite the destruction, Yarimi was never criminally charged with mischief—a puzzling detail, given that damages over $250 can meet the threshold for the offense under New York law.

“If the individuals in [the apartment] did not have their apartment door locked, you would have attempted to seriously injure them,” building management P and 21 LLC stated in the formal eviction notice filed a month after the attack.

Court papers described Yarimi as “verbally abusing, cursing, threatening, yelling, and screaming” during the incident. Her behavior, the landlord noted, posed a threat to the safety and mental well-being of other residents.

The eviction process moved forward, and her lease was terminated in April 2024. However, the case remains unresolved in Brooklyn civil court. Records show that neither Yarimi nor her now ex-husband, Shneur Kovitz, has paid rent since then—racking up more than $37,000 in arrears on their $3,150-a-month unit.

The Post also reported that Yarimi eventually moved out of the Avenue P residence, though it’s unclear exactly when. Police sources believe she relocated to another apartment nearby in Midwood.

Yarimi’s disturbing history came into sharper focus following the March 29, 2025, crash in Gravesend, in which she allegedly rammed her blue Audi into a family of five walking home from synagogue. The impact killed 35-year-old Natasha Saada and her daughters, Diana, 8, and Debra, 5. The family’s 4-year-old son, Philip, remains in critical condition at Maimonides Medical Center.

Yarimi is currently being held without bail on manslaughter charges related to the incident. During her arraignment, prosecutors described her post-crash behavior as erratic and deeply troubling.

“The devil’s in my eyes,” Yarimi reportedly told officers after the crash. “I’m haunted inside. I didn’t kill anyone. I don’t hurt anyone. Prove it. Show me proof.”

A former classmate, speaking to the Post, recalled Yarimi as a “nerdy, religious” teen who became “screwed up” after a controversial relationship with a married NYPD officer. In a bizarre twist, Yarimi had once secured a $2 million settlement from the NYPD following a rape lawsuit, which she later flaunted on social media.

As authorities work to piece together the events leading up to the tragic crash, Yarimi’s history of instability—and the missed warning signs—raise serious questions about whether this deadly spiral could have been prevented.