VENTURA, Calif. — A former college instructor from Southern California has accepted responsibility for involuntary manslaughter and battery charges connected to the death of a Jewish counter-demonstrator during Israel-Hamas war protests in 2023.
Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, age 53, was charged with hitting Paul Kessler using a megaphone during a November 2023 altercation at what began as a pro-Palestinian rally in Thousand Oaks, located northwest of Los Angeles.
Kessler was part of a pro-Israel demonstration group that arrived at what had been promoted as a peaceful assembly, authorities reported. Following the impact, Kessler tumbled backward and his head struck the concrete. The 69-year-old man passed away at a medical facility the following day.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter refers to the accidental killing of another individual.
Alnaji, who previously taught computer science at Moorpark College, remained at the location and informed deputies he had contacted emergency services.
He also acknowledged a special enhancement for personally causing severe bodily harm and accepted aggravating circumstances including weapon use and victim vulnerability, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office reported.
Defense attorney Ron Bamieh stated that both he and his client have received numerous death threats, with Alnaji concerned that trial publicity might further endanger his family. Alnaji remains free on $50,000 bond.
The judge has informed Alnaji he should anticipate jail time followed by supervised release, Bamieh explained. With good conduct, he would probably serve approximately six months behind bars. The maximum penalty for these charges reaches four years imprisonment.
Bamieh noted that brief incarceration followed by supervised release represents the typical outcome for defendants who were not the initial aggressor in fatal altercations.
Prosecution officials have opposed this approach.
“Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behavior, and our office strongly objects to any lesser sentence,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. “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.”
Alnaji’s sentencing is set for June 25.
