Hate crime allegations have not been ruled out in the death of a Jewish guy at a rally over the Israel-Hamas struggle in California previous this month, the Ventura County district lawyer stated Friday.
Paul Kessler, 69, died from blunt-force head trauma following a disagreement with a counterprotester amid simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Thousand Oaks on Nov. 5, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office stated.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office stated Kessler suffered from cranium fractures and swelling and bruising of the mind and made up our minds his death to be a murder.
In this undated photograph equipped via the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office displays Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji. Alnaji was once charged Nov. 16, 2023, with involuntary manslaughter and battery in the death of a Jewish protester all the way through demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas struggle.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office by way of AP
Loay Alnaji, 50, of Moorpark, was once arrested on Thursday in reference to the death and charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery inflicting critical physically harm — with a unique allegation on each counts that the crime inflicted nice physically hurt.
His bail was once set at $1 million, in line with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. PT on Friday.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko stated the proof does not beef up the submitting of a hate crime at this time “although that investigation is ongoing.”
“Simply put, looking at the statements as well as the words that accompany the act, we cannot at this time meet the elements of a hate crime,” he instructed journalists all the way through a press briefing on Friday. “But nevertheless, we will continue to explore and investigate that offense as well as that special allegation.”
Nasarenko stated prosecutors reviewed statements from greater than 60 witnesses and collected greater than 600 items of proof as section of their investigation.
“We took this case seriously and we investigated and charged it thoroughly,” he stated.
“This was not an easy undertaking, given the disparate, often conflicting interpretations and statements and also the fragmentary nature of the evidence,” he stated.
A person who stated his title was once Marcus brings plant life to the precise location at the sidewalk of the alleged attack on Paul Kessler in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on Nov. 7, 2023.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Nasarenko stated new items of proof helped result in the submitting of legal fees. That incorporated findings in regards to the accidents to the left facet of Kessler’s face and virtual proof, he stated.
“We have been able to take video as well as digital photos, put them together to achieve a clear sequence of events leading up to the confrontation,” Nasarenko stated.
Nasarenko stated prosecutors made up our minds that the rate of involuntary manslaughter — the killing of some other with out malice — was once suitable since the suspect did not display up at the intersection “with the intent to kill, harm or injure.”
The suspect was once attending the pro-Palestinian demonstration, in line with Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.
Fryhoff stated the suspect was once amongst a number of individuals who referred to as 911 following the incident and had remained at the scene and was once interviewed.
In the times following the incident, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office stated they did not but have sufficient proof to make an arrest and that conflicting eyewitness statements made it tough to turn out the suspect’s guilt past a cheap doubt.
The sheriff’s place of business requested Thursday that any one who drove a car with video recording apparatus in the course of the house between 3 and four p.m. native time on Nov. 5 to put up any photos they’ve.
Fryhoff stated Friday they’re additionally nonetheless in quest of to speak to any witnesses who have not begun to return ahead.
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