A pro-Palestinian demonstrator has been ordered by a Ventura County judge to face trial for the death of a Jewish man who was counter-protesting on a street in Thousand Oaks in November.
Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish man, tragically lost his life due to the severe head injuries he sustained during a confrontation with a counterprotester. This unfortunate incident occurred during simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations last November. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office had confirmed that Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji allegedly struck Paul Kessler with a megaphone, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement.
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The Ventura County Medical Examiner determined that Kessler’s cause of death was blunt force trauma resulting from the impact of the megaphone strike and the subsequent fall.
In November, Alnaji faced charges of involuntary manslaughter, battery causing serious bodily injury, and special allegations of personally inflicting great bodily harm.
During his arraignment last fall, Alnaji maintained his innocence and pled not guilty to the charges brought against him.
Alnaji was ordered to stand trial by a Ventura County Superior Court judge following a comprehensive two-day preliminary hearing, during which 18 witnesses provided testimony.
The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, as authorities are diligently working to gather all the necessary information. The Ventura County District Attorney’s office has stated that they have not yet discovered any evidence that would indicate this was a hate crime.
Alnaji was granted bail in the amount of $50,000 and subsequently released.
If he is found guilty of all charges, he could potentially be sentenced to up to four years in prison.
