Considering California's easy-on-criminals mindset these days, it's amazing that any bail was set for the killer of Paul Kessler. Kessler's killer is being held on $1 million bail and is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office says the man accused of the killing, Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, was arrested at his home in Moorpark, Calif. He's accused of striking Kessler in the face with his bullhorn, which he used to shout pro-Hamas chants as his small group held a competing protest on a busy Ventura intersection on November 5.
Ventura County officials say Kessler, a Jewish man who waved an Israeli flag at competing Jewish/Pro-Hamas protests in Ventura earlier this month, died after Alnaji's bullhorn hit him in the face and he fell backward and hit his head. He died later at a hospital from his head injuries.
Multiple people reported the assault, and it went supernova on social media.
Witnesses say Alnaji and another man purposely stalked Kessler at the event.
Alnaji was identified as the perpetrator early on.
BREAKING REPORT: California college professor arrested on INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE for death of Jewish protester in CA..
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) November 16, 2023
California authorities have detained Loay Alnaji on charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Jewish protester Paul Kessler.… pic.twitter.com/EBnYRA4bKZ
Witnesses say Alnaji and another man purposely stalked and harassed Kessler at the event.
🚨 In case you missed it - BIG scoop @redstate. Exclusive interview w/eyewitness at CA pro-Hamas rally where Paul Kessler was killed by a college prof who stalked Kessler and his friend John Oswaks for 1 hr prior to attack, and another man had pulled a gun on them at the prior… pic.twitter.com/4bcdMxNKUV
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) November 9, 2023
As Rabbi Michael Barclay puts it in his recent piece, investigators are still puzzling over whether this qualifies as a hate crime, which would increase the penalties against the professor. A news conference will be held on Friday to take up the issue, and the clergy will meet with investigators before any announcement is made. Rest assured, one side will be upset. The cops are smart to include the clergy, which it has been doing since the incident occurred eleven days ago.
Related: What Pro-Hamas Protesters Did After Jewish Man Was Put Into Ambulance Shocks the Conscience
The Ventura County County Sheriff says that Alnaji will be sent to a pre-trial detention facility until he makes bail.
But authorities made it clear that the investigation is ongoing and that they're still looking for video — especially from those driving Teslas — who may have driven through the intersection where the competing protests were held that day.
Though an arrest has been made, we continue to encourage community members who may have information about this criminal investigation and have yet to come forward to please contact Detective Stump at (805) 384-4745.
Any persons who were driving a vehicle equipped with video recording equipment, such as Teslas, in the area of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard between 3:00 p.m. and 4 p.m. on November 5th, are encouraged to reach out to detectives or utilize the link provided below to download and submit video footage.
The American social media account Israel War Room even picked up the story and put out a message on Twitter/X.
#BREAKING: Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter for the murder of Paul Kessler, 69, who was waving an Israeli flag across from a pro-Hamas rally. https://t.co/LM4xRBvGeq
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 16, 2023
Our sister website RedState's Jen Van Laar showed a photo of the Moorpark College professor with the weapon used against Kessler.
BREAKING: Moorpark College Professor Arrested in Death of Pro-Israel Demonstrator Paul Kessler https://t.co/MJowrj2fpv
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) November 16, 2023
Alnaji is a fundamentalist Muslim and in the past has posted pro-Hamas messages and speeches on his social media sites.
Los Angeles area - a pro Hamas video has been discovered on the Instagram feed of Loay Alnaji, the college professor who hit Jewish individual Paul Kessler in the face with a megaphone, ultimately killing him.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 8, 2023
Kessler was holding an Israeli flag and standing with other… pic.twitter.com/pZu5lFxhSS
Aljani cooperated with authorities in the investigation. But the people with him mocked Kessler's injuries, as I pointed out in this piece.
