California college professor to stand trial in death of pro-Israel protester last year

VENTURA, California — A judge decided Wednesday that a Southern California college professor will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter and battery in the death of a Jewish counter-protester during demonstrations over the war between Israel and Hamas last year.

Superior Court Judge Ryan Wright declared after a two-day preliminary hearing that there is sufficient evidence to try Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, according to the Ventura County Prosecutor’s Office.

Alnaji, 51, is accused of hitting Paul Kessler with a bullhorn in November during a confrontation at an event that began as a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Thousand Oaks, a suburb northwest of Los Angeles.

Kessler, 69, fell backward and hit his head on the sidewalk. He died in a hospital the next day.

Alnaji was charged with two felonies: involuntary manslaughter and battery causing great bodily harm, with special charges of personal infliction of great bodily harm on each charge, the district attorney’s office said. If he is found guilty of all charges, he could be sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Alnaji posted $50,000 bail. An email and phone message left for Alnaji’s attorney, Ron Bamieh, was not immediately returned Wednesday.

Alnaji, a computer science professor at Moorpark College, had espoused pro-Palestinian views on his Facebook page and other social media accounts, many of which were removed in the days after Kessler’s death, according to the Los Angeles Times.