A 50-year-old Moorpark professor was arrested and charged Thursday, Nov. 16 with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal injury of a 69-year-old Jewish man who apparently fell backward with his head striking the ground during dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations earlier this month in Thousand Oaks.
Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, a professor of computer science at Moorpark College, was held in lieu of $1 million bail, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office late Thursday announced that along with involuntary manslaughter, Alnaji was also charged with battery causing serious bodily injury.
The death of Paul Kessler drew national headlines and left the local Jewish community in the shadow of fear as it came in the midst of rising tension in Southern California over the Israel-Hamas war.
Confrontation at the protest
Kessler died after a confrontation during competing pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations involving around 75 to 100 people at the Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard intersection on Sunday, Nov. 5 in Thousand Oaks. He was found suffering from a head injury and bleeding from his head and mouth after apparently falling backward and striking his head on the ground following a physical confrontation with at least one other protester.
But the details of what happened prior to his fatal fall remained unclear, as witnesses reportedly provided conflicting statements to authorities. The Ventura County Medical Examiner quickly determined that Kessler died from a blunt-force head injury and deemed it a homicide. But that initial finding only meant that the actions of another individual contributed to his death, not that it was necessarily the result of a criminal act.
Alnaji — described by authorities at the time only as a “50-year-old Moorpark man who was a pro-Palestinian demonstrator — reportedly remained at the scene of the confrontation and cooperated with authorities. He was detained for several hours the day after the demonstration as deputies searched his residence, but at that time was not arrested.
The Ventura County DA Office indicated that they have been in “daily consultation” with sheriff’s investigators leading up to the arrest. That police investigation remains ongoing.
Leaders of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said they were “grateful for the swift work of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department…
“This arrest shows that violence towards our Jewish community will not be tolerated,” the organization said in a written statement. “We will continue to monitor the case to help ensure justice is served. Our heartfelt condolences continue to be with the family of Paul Kessler and may his memory forever be a blessing.”
The Jewish Federation previously alleged that Kessler was struck in the head by a megaphone held by a pro-Palestinian protester. Sheriff’s officials have neither confirmed nor denied that allegation. The county’s chief medical examiner earlier confirmed that Kessler had non-lethal injuries on the left side of his face, but when asked if those injuries could have been caused by a megaphone indicated that he couldn’t say.
The Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations described the death as “a tragic situation that is indicative of a very unfortunate accident that no one intended to happen…
“We now await the criminal justice system’s process and result and wish that truth and justice will prevail,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in a written statement on Thursday. “We reiterate our strong support for the right of First Amendment political debate, protest, and speech and our unequivocal rejection of all violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or incitement of hatred.”
Authorities did not release any specific information about how Alnaji and Kessler interacted before or during the confrontation, or what specifically Alnaji is suspected of having done to necessitate a criminal charge. But an involuntary manslaughter charge implies that authorities have likely concluded that the killing was unintentional or accidental.
Jonathan Oswaks, a Thousand Oaks resident who was at the counter-protest to support Israel, previously told a Southern California News Group reporter that a man with a megaphone had yelled into his ear before later punching someone with the mouth with the speaker. It has not been confirmed that the man was Alnaji.
Who is Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji?
At Moorpark College, Alnaji was placed on administrative leave following his arrest, according to a statement from the Ventura County Community College District.
District officials added that “Necessary protocols have been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, which will remain our top priority.”
Alnaji’s profile has been scrubbed from Moorpark College’s website. However, another online bio states he has a doctorate in business administration/information technology from Argosy University which has since been shuttered; a master’s degree in computer science, from California State University; and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Irbid National University in Jordan.
Alnaji also taught at the Al Ain University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates where he co-authored a white paper entitled “Can tolerance of diverse groups improve the wellbeing of societies?”
The paper found that countries that tolerate diversity are prosperous and well-managed.
“People are different, regardless of their assumed similarities, and acknowledging this reality is important for proper communication and interaction,” the paper states. “Failing to acknowledge the existence of differences among those with whom we interact could lead to miscommunication, or even conflict in some cases.
In 2022, Alnaji was paid $199,775 in salary and benefits by VCCD, according to public records.
On RateMyProfessors.com, which allows students to comment on their college teachers, Alnaji was given an overall 2.6 rating out of a possible 5.
He was described as an overly hard, but affable teacher.
“He can be nice but his assignments are way too far above a student learning level. It’s not even worthy of being called a challenge,” one reviewer said.
“Easily one of the most confusing professors I’ve ever had,” said another.
Alnaji was said to give scores of only 100 or zero, nothing in between.
Said one student: “He’s really nice, but is super tough.”
After Kessler’s death, purported students left macabre messages that have since been erased.
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Alnaji and his family live on a tree-lined cul-de-sac in Moorpark, with a mix of neighbors from high schoolers to those in their 70s. Residents described him as a quiet man with whom they occasionally exchanged greetings.
A young female who answered the Ring system at Alnaji’s house declined to comment on the arrest. She also declined to provide information about whether Alnaji has an attorney.
On Thursday evening, Kessler’s house emanated an eerie emptiness that amplified the hustle and bustle surrounding his neighbors’ homes. The closed windows and empty driveway stood in sharp contrast to the smell of dinner and clinking of utensils at other houses. A small pot of white and purple chrysanthemums, addressed to Cheryl Kessler, sat by the doorstep.
A neighbor, who identified himself as a close friend of Kessler, said he was not ready to talk about it when a reporter approached him.
Tensions remain high
As rallies, demonstrations and marches have been held amid the raging Israel-Hamas war, some close to the heated debate have worried that the tone of the argument has escalated in Southern California. Where tension during previous shooting wars involving Israel and Hamas was largely on college campuses and online forums, the war of words — and at times threats and name-calling — has spread into the larger community in recent weeks.
The resulting wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim threats — not only locally but across the nation — has been cited by agencies tasked with tracking and handling national security threats. A recent Department of Homeland Security directive warned the public to stay vigilant, cautioning that potential lone offenders “motivated by a range of violent ideologies” pose the most likely threat.
On the local level, it has also led to an increase in reports of bullying and harassment, particularly on college campuses and schools.
On Thursday, authorities asked that anyone driving in the area of the confrontation in a car with video-recording equipment between 3 and 4 p.m. on Nov. 5 to contact them. If a witness wants to remain anonymous, they can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
