College Professor Arrested In Connection To Death Of An L.A. Jewish Protester

An arrest has been made in connection to a Jewish man who died during a protest in Los Angeles. A Moorpark College professor was taken into custody and charged with suspicions of involuntary manslaughter.

The late Jewish man reportedly suffered head injuries following an altercation between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups at a rally in Thousand Oaks earlier this month.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, has been arrested in the death of  69-year-old Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who died during a rally related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Kessler reportedly fell backward during the confrontation and died after his head hit the ground. At the time of the incident, police did not make any arrests due to a need to certify conflicting witness accounts on what exactly led to the Jewish man's death.

Alnaji, a college professor, is now being held in custody with a hefty $1 Million bail.

Ventura County Chief Medical Examiner Christopher Young revealed that Kessler's death was ruled a homicide, and an autopsy carried out confirmed that he died from "blunt force head injury."

Young noted that the manner in which Kessler died does not point to criminal intent. Still, it confirms that "death occurred at the hands of another person or the actions of another person contributed to the death of a person."

The medical examiner added that Kessler suffered a deadly wound to the back of his head that is "consistent with and typical of injuries sustained from a fall." 

"Nonlethal injuries" were also detected on the left side of the late Jewish man, indicating that he might have suffered a blow to the face. 

After news of Kessler's death went viral on social media, several pro-Israel groups mourned the elderly Jewish man. While speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Rabbi Ari Averbach of the Thousand Oaks' Temple Etz talked about Kessler's "love for Israel" and his belief in Jews' right to live without fear.

Averbach said, "Like most Jews, he has a love for Israel, believes that Jews should be allowed to live in Israel." 

Kessler had left his home for a pro-Israel counterprotest with the Israeli flag in hand after a neighbor of his reportedly told him to stand across a pro-Palestinian group that had assembled at a nearby corner.

"He has become a symbol for something bigger — that wasn't his intention," Averbach added. "He was not looking for trouble."

R.I.P.