Man pleads guilty to killing pro-Israel protester during Ventura County rally in 2023

A Ventura County man pleaded guilty to killing a 69-year-old Jewish protester during dueling rallies over the Israel-Palestinian conflict in 2023.

After initially pleading not guilty three years ago, Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and battery causing injury, along with a special allegation and aggravating factor that he personally used a weapon to strike the protester, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. 

Prosecutors said the court will likely sentence Alnaji to formal probation with up to a year in jail, even though his charges carry a maximum of four years in prison.

"Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behavior, and our office strongly objects to any lesser sentence," said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. "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 deadly altercation between Alnaji and the pro-Israel protester, 69-year-old Paul Kessler, happened on Nov. 5, 2023, while their two sides rallied over the Israel-Hamas conflict in a Thousand Oaks intersection. Prosecutors said Alnaji hit Kessler in the head with a megaphone. Kessler dropped to the ground, hit his head on the pavement and died a day later. 

After Kessler's death, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced the attack.

Alnaji's sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 25 at Ventura County Superior Court. He remains out of custody on a $50,000 bail, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.