Prof pleads guilty in death of elderly Jewish man at anti-Israel Oct 7 protest

A California college professor who scuffled with pro-Israel demonstrators has pleaded guilty in the death of a Jewish man who was fatally injured during the clash.

According to the New York Post, Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, 54, admitted on Tuesday to felony involuntary manslaughter and felony battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with the 2023 death of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old pro-Israel demonstrator from Southern California.

The incident unfolded during rival demonstrations in Thousand Oaks, where anti-Israel activists and Israel supporters gathered amid escalating tensions following the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and the following war in Gaza.

According to prosecutors, Alnaji struck Kessler in the head with a megaphone during an altercation. Kessler fell backward, hit his head on the pavement, and later died from his injuries.

Ventura County prosecutors said Alnaji acknowledged several aggravating factors as part of the plea agreement, including the use of a weapon and the vulnerability of the elderly victim. District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said the plea does not erase the seriousness of the attack and argued Alnaji deserves prison time. “While no sentence can undo the loss suffered by the Kessler family, incarceration would reflect the gravity of the violence committed here,” Nasarenko said.

Despite initially facing years behind bars, Alnaji could receive probation and up to one year in county jail under the agreement.

Alnaji remains free on bail ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for June 25.