The man who fatally struck a pro-Israel demonstrator during competing pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies in Thousand Oaks, California, nearly three years ago has pleaded guilty, reversing his earlier denial of culpability.
Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji entered guilty pleas to involuntary manslaughter and battery with injury Monday, acknowledging he used a weapon — identified as a megaphone — to strike the victim, court records show.
The incident unfolded on November 5, 2023, as two rival protest groups gathered at an intersection in Thousand Oaks. Paul Kessler hy”d, 69, was struck in the head by Alnaji. The blow sent Kessler to the pavement, where he struck his head again. He died the next day from his injuries.
Prosecutors are pushing for prison time, citing the violence and the loss of life. Yet sentencing guidelines suggest Alnaji may avoid incarceration entirely, instead receiving probation with up to one year in custody.
“Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behavior,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said, signaling the office’s intention to argue forcefully for a custodial sentence. “While no amount of punishment will ever fully account for the Kessler family loss, a prison commitment underscores the severity of this crime and will deter others from committing similar acts of violence.”
The reversal of Alnaji’s initial not guilty plea came nearly three years after Kessler’s death, which drew rapid condemnation from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Council on American-Islamic Relations — unusual coordination from organizations often on opposing sides of Middle East disputes.
Alnaji, currently free on $50,000 bail, will face sentencing on June 25 in Ventura County Superior Court. Prosecutors are expected to argue against probation, though judges retain discretion in sentencing decisions.
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