A person places flowers at a makeshift memorial at the site of an altercation between 69-year-old Paul Kessler, who was Jewish, and pro-Palestinian protestor on Nov. 7, 2023 in Thousand Oaks.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Ventura County's district attorney said investigators obtained nine search warrants, all of which were approved within 24-hours of protester Paul Kessler’s death the morning of Nov. 6.
Why it matters: Loay Alnaji of Moorpark faces involuntary manslaughter and battery charges stemming from the death of Kessler during a confrontation in Thousand Oaks during protests prompted by the Israel-Hamas war.
Why now: The Ventura County Sheriff's Office arrested Alnaji filed charges against him on Thursday. Alnaji is expected to be arraigned in court Friday afternoon.
Investigators said Friday that they reviewed statements from more than 60 witnesses and other evidence before charging a Moorpark man in the death of Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who was fatally injured last week during a confrontation between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators in Thousand Oaks.
Loay Alnaji, a 50-year-old college professor, was charged with two felony counts: involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury. The charges come with special allegations that Alnaji personally inflicted great bodily injury on Kessler.
Alnaji pleaded not guilty in Superior Court Friday afternoon. If convicted, he could face time in prison. A judge reduced Alnaji's bail to $50,000 from $1 million, and ordered him to turn over any passports.
Defense lawyer Ron Bamieh objected, arguing that Alnaji isn't a flight risk and has no criminal record.
“He’s an American citizen [and] he deserves to be treated like an American citizen. And to act like he’s some kind of flight threat... is ludicrous,” Bamieh said outside the courthouse.
Bamieh indicated he has seen video on social media that may shed more light on both Kessler's and Alnaji's behavior.
“At the most this is a push, somebody fell, and something tragic happened,” Bamieh said.
On Friday morning, Ventura County's sheriff and district attorney held a joint news conference where they explained the progress of the ongoing investigation.
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said investigators obtained nine search warrants, all of which were approved within 24 hours of Kessler’s death the morning of Nov. 6. He said prosecutors in his office began reviewing the witness statements and more than 600 pieces of evidence.
He did not identify the evidence or specify what any of the witnesses said.
Collectively, the Sheriff's Department and the DA’s Office spent more than 2,000 hours on the case before it was filed, according the county authorities.
“We took this case seriously, and we investigated it and charged it thoroughly,” Nasarenko said, adding that authorities approached the case “with an open mind” and did not proceed as though criminal charges would be “a forgone conclusion.”
“Our charge and task as prosecutors is to follow the facts, follow the evidence and adhere to the rule of law,” he said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the incident was reported about 3:20 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, where demonstrators had gathered in rival protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Kessler, a 69-year-old Thousand Oaks resident, was injured and fell to the ground, hitting his head. He was bleeding, but conscious and responsive when sheriff’s deputies arrived. He died at a hospital hours later.
Ventura County Dist. Atty Erik Nasarenko addresses the media on Nov. 17, 2023.
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Robert Garrova
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LAist
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Ventura County Chief Medical Examiner Christopher Young has said Kessler’s injuries caused swelling and bleeding around his brain.
During the news conference, the district attorney noted that his office did not file a murder charge against Alnaji because there is no evidence that he arrived at the intersection “with the intent to kill, harm or injure anyone.” So far, Nasarenko added, no hate crime allegations have been filed, but they have not been ruled out.
Nasarenko explained that in addition to the battery charge, Alnaji faces a count of involuntary manslaughter, meaning he is accused of killing a person with criminal negligence, “specifically reckless conduct that carried with it a high risk of death or great bodily injury.“
When considering the charges, he said, prosecutors relied on physical and forensic evidence, as well as “findings regarding the injuries to the left side of Paul Kessler’s face.” Nasarenko said investigators were able to put together video and digital footage to recreate the sequence of events leading to the confrontation.
Detectives and prosecutors are still seeking information from witnesses and asking anyone with video of the incident to come forward.
During the Friday news conference, Nasarenko said Kessler worked for decades in medical sales and was a pilot. He said Kessler was married for 43 years and leaves behind a son.
