Police arrest pro-Palestinian suspect over killing of elderly Jewish man holding Israeli flag at protest; $1 million bail set



Police on Thursday arrested a pro-Palestinian suspect in connection with the killing of an elderly Jewish man who was holding an Israeli flag amid dueling protests last week in Thousand Oaks, California.

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What are the details?

Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and taken to Ventura County Jail on $1,000,000 bail, Fox News reported, citing a Ventura County Sheriff's Department news release.

Numerous news outlets have said the man seen in this image is Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji. Image source: Fox News video screenshot

Investigators said Alnaji caused Paul Kessler — a 69-year-old pro-Israel protester — to fall, after which Kessler hit his head on the sidewalk, the cable network said.

The cable network noted that in video recorded after the altercation between Alnaji and Kessler, Alnaji can be seen seen sitting just feet away from Kessler, who's lying on his back on the sidewalk and bleeding.

Image source: Fox News video screenshot

Alnaji can also be seen answering police officers' questions. Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said during a news conference last week that the then-unnamed suspect had been cooperative.

Image source: Fox News video screenshot

Image source: Fox News video screenshot

Kessler was taken to a hospital where he died the next day of his injuries.

More from Fox News:

Although police previously obtained a warrant to search Alnaji's vehicle and home in Moorpark on Nov. 6, detaining the then-suspect for about two hours, they had insufficient evidence to carry out an arrest.

It is unclear what new evidence led to Alnaji's arrest. In the weeks preceding his arrest, some witnesses have told Fox News Digital that the pro-Palestinian protester struck Kessler with his megaphone. An autopsy carried out by Ventura County Medical Examiner Christopher Young showed minor abrasions to the left side of Kessler's mouth in addition to the brain swelling and bruising that killed him.

The department wrote that they are still crowdsourcing photos and video from 3 and 4 p.m. at the intersections of Westlake and Thousand Oaks Boulevards, and offering a $1,000 reward for any pertinent footage or information.

Alnaji is a full-time professor and teaches computer science on Ventura County Community College's Moorpark campus, the cable network said, adding that the school didn't immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Alnaji was born in Kuwait, the cable network said, citing the Ventura County District Attorney's office, but added that his citizenship status wasn't clear.

Before they were taken down, Alnaji's faculty page and linked YouTube introduction indicated he has taught college students since 2003 and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science and a doctorate in business administration, Fox News said.

The cable network added that Alnaji on his now-deleted Instagram account posted a video showing activist Shahid King Bolsen comparing the Hamas terror group to civil rights leaders Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

"If someone asked me to condemn Hamas, I would say, what's the rush? Let's let history decide," Bolsen said in the video Alnaji shared, according to Fox News, adding that Bolsen also said, "Let's wait to see because you might change your mind on this, too — you condemned Mahatma Gandhi until you didn't."

Fox News said witnesses at the scene have told the cable network that Alnaji "tried to bait" Kessler before their altercation and was using a megaphone to shout directly into the faces of pro-Israel protesters.

"I don't know how many times I told him to take that out of my ear," Jonathan Oswaks, Kessler's friend and fellow protester, told Fox News in regard to Alnaji's behavior. "And I wasn't polite about it… He tried to bait me, and I didn't take the bait. [Then] he walked across the street and tried to bait Paul."

Another witness who didn't want to be named told the cable network that Alnaji was "very aggressive" and appeared to want "to maybe not kill or hurt [Kessler] but to get in his face and get into an altercation."

Alnaji is scheduled to appear Monday in Ventura County Superior Court, Fox News said.

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Hate crime? One or more pro-Palestinian activists reportedly fight, kill elderly Jewish man holding Israeli flag at protest



One or more pro-Palestinian activists reportedly fought with and killed an elderly Jewish man who was holding an Israeli flag amid dueling protests in southern California over the weekend — and authorities haven't ruled out a hate crime.

What are the details?

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said a pro-Israeli protest and a pro-Palestinian protest were occurring around 3:20 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. Thousand Oaks is just over an hour northwest of Los Angeles.

Multiple individuals reported to police that a battery took place at the scene, and responding deputies found Paul Kessler, 69, suffering from a head injury, the sheriff's office said.

Witnesses told authorities that Kessler was "involved in a physical altercation with counter-protester(s)" and fell backward and hit his head on the ground. He was hospitalized for medical treatment and died Monday of his injuries, authorities said.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury and the manner of death a homicide, authorities said, adding that the sheriff's office is investigating and "has not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime."

Authorities added that the incident appears to be isolated and not part of a large effort.

What else?

A photo posted to social media shows Kessler before the altercation waving an Israeli flag at an intersection, NBC News reported.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

A press photographer captured an image of Kessler receiving treatment on a sidewalk at 3:20 p.m. with his head on a bloodied homemade sign, the network said, adding that video posted online appears to show Kessler lying on the sidewalk with his head covered in blood.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

NBC News said another video appears to show pro-Palestinian demonstrators continuing to shout slogans and wave flags after Kessler was injured as police vehicles and an ambulance sat nearby. The network said the same video shows blood splattered across a homemade sign that reads, "STOP BOMBING BABIES AND FAMILIES."

Rabbi Michael Barclay of Temple Ner Simcha, which is near the intersection in question, told the network that Kessler is Jewish. NBC News added that Kessler's family declined comment Monday night and asked for privacy.

Anyone who witnessed or knows about what took place or who attended the demonstrations can call 805-384-4745, authorities said, adding that Crime Stoppers can be contacted anonymously at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

California Jewish man dies from injuries sustained in Israel-Palestine rally youtu.be

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Thug accused of beating up Jewish man in NYC, calling victim a 'dirty Jew' allegedly told jailers, 'I'd do it again'



Prosecutors said a Brooklyn man accused of beating up a Jewish man in a hate attack in midtown Manhattan last week — in which he allegedly called the victim a "dirty Jew" — declared from his jail cell that he would "do it again," the New York Post reported.

What are the details?

The Post said Waseem Awawdeh, 23, was held on $10,000 bail in connection to the Thursday attack and is accused of punching, kicking, and pepper-spraying 29-year-old Joseph Borgen — as well as beating the victim with crutches.

"If I could do it again, I would do it again," Awawdeh told one of his jailers, according to a prosecutor at the suspect's Saturday arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, the paper reported. "I have no problem doing it again."

Here's a clip of Awawdeh in custody:

'I would do it again': Pro-Palestinian suspect accused of pummeling NYC Kippa-wearing Jewishyoutu.be

More from the Post:

The attack was unprovoked, said prosecutors, who told Judge Kathryn Paek that Borgen was walking near Broadway and West 49th Street when Awawdeh "jumped him and attacked him."

Awawdeh, who has at least one open case in Brooklyn for allegedly speeding and running a red light in March, was charged with assault as a hate crime, gang assault, menacing, aggravated harassment as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

The Manhattan assistant district attorney told Paek that the attack was a hate crime and said Awawdeh called Borgen a "dirty Jew" and said, "F*** Israel, Hamas is going to kill all of you," the paper said.

But friends of Awawdeh's, who refused to give their names, claimed Awawdeh was attacked first, the Post noted.

"They picked somebody that was weak, that was on crutches," one of them told the paper.

However, the NYPD released photos of four other men who are wanted in connection with Thursday's attack on Borgen, the Post added.

Awawdeh is enrolled in college and isn't a flight risk, according to his attorney, April White-Small of New York County Defenders, the paper said, adding that Awawdeh did not enter a plea.

What did the victim have to say?

"I felt a liquid being poured on my face, and at first I thought I was getting urinated on," Borgen told the Post. "But it turned out I was getting Maced and pepper-sprayed. My face was on fire. That pain was worse than the concussion and all this other stuff that followed."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Borgen also told the paper he underwent a wrist X-ray, and although it's not broken it's "messed up. Every time I move it, it's in pain, probably sprained. I have bruises all over my body. I have a black eye. My face is banged up. I'm just sore all over my body. They were kicking me in my ribs, my stomach."

The victim also told the Post the attack got him reconsidering wearing his yarmulke in public in the future.

Man used crutch to beat Jewish man in Times Square hate crime assault: NYPDyoutu.be

Elderly Jewish man confronts vandal for ripping down Trump flag. But the crook just comes back and destroys another one.



And the Trump flag hits just keep on coming.

Surveillance video caught a vandal ripping down a flag supporting President Donald Trump on Thursday night that had been hanging from a residential balcony in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, CrownHeights.Info reported.

The outlet said video caught the same person returning about an hour later to destroy a second Trump flag hanging from the same balcony.

What are the details?

Video shows the vandal wearing a dark-colored hoodie, gray pants, and a mask on the sidewalk in front of the balcony around 7:15 p.m. CrownHeights.info said he was taking photos of the residence before announcing himself as a delivery man and entering the building — but he wasn't let inside the apartment.

Then the vandal reached up and ripped down the first Trump flag hanging from the balcony.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

An elderly Jewish man was passing by and confronted the vandal, but the crook didn't appear concerned in the least.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

And when the man walked away, the vandal pulled out his phone and appeared to record video of him — and then he stomped on the Trump flag.

About an hour later, video shows the vandal coming back for more.

As two females sat on the steps next door, the vandal grabbed a long piece of wood with nails protruding from the end and used it to rip and tear at a second Trump flag hanging from the same balcony.

Image source: TheYeshivaWorld.com video screenshot

The females ran up the steps in apparent fear, and the vandal tossed the long piece of wood in apparent exultation after destroying the second Trump flag.

Image source: TheYeshivaWorld.com video screenshot

CrownHeights.info said the residence was targeted previously in an act of vandalism over its "Trump pride."

Here are the clips showing the separate acts of vandalism:

Trump 2020 Sign Vandalized In Crown Heights 10/15/20 Video 1youtu.be

Trump 2020 Sign Vandalized In Crown Heights 10/15/20 Video 2youtu.be

The hits just keep on coming

Pro-Trump flags and banners appear to be triggering all sorts of strange behavior of late as the presidential election draws closer: