Man Arrested In Connection To The Death Of Jewish Protester In Los Angeles Area

By CBS News
Posted on 11/16/23 | News Source: CBS News

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office have arrested a man in connection to the death of a 69-year-old pro-Israel protester.

Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, age 50 of Moorpark, was arrested Thursday morning on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. He is being held on a $1 million bail.

Paul Kessler died earlier this month after being injured during an alleged fight with pro-Palestinian protesters during a rally in Thousand Oaks.

Kessler was "struck in the head by a megaphone wielded pro-Palestinian protester," according to the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles.

Authorities said the alleged battery happened around 3:20 p.m. on November 5 at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, where both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests were taking place. Witnesses told investigators that a man struck Kessler before he fell and hit his head on the ground. 

The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office classified his death as a homicide.