College professor arrested in death of Jewish man after SoCal rally confrontation

A man has been arrested in the death of a 69-year-old Jewish man who suffered fatal injuries at dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies in Thousand Oaks.

Loay Alnaji, 50, of Moorpark, was arrested Thursday at his home on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Paul Kessler. Alnaji's bail will be set at $1 million, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Details about what led to the arrest were not immediately available. In a news release announcing the arrest, the sheriff's department did not provide details about the altercation between Kessler and Alnaji at the Nov. 5 rally in the community northwest of Los Angeles.

It was not immediately clear whether Alanji has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office said Alnaji was charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury.

Analji was identified as an employee with the Ventura County Community College District, where he was employed as a computer science professor. The district said in a statement released Thursday that Analji was placed on administrative leave.

"The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) is aware of the recent arrest of VCCCD employee, Loay Analji, in connection with the investigation into the tragic death of Paul Kessler," the VCCCD said. "The Ventura County Sheriff's Department has been conducting a thorough investigation, and the VCCCD has been in communication with law enforcement throughout this process."

The arrest stems from an altercation at a pro-Palestinian rally and pro-Israeli rally happening simultaneously at the intersection of Westlake and Thousand Oaks boulevards in Thousand Oaks. The rally was one of many in Southern California and around the country in the month that followed the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and the ensuing Israel-Hamas War.

At around 3:20 p.m. on that Sunday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department received reports of an assault. Authorities arrived and found Kessler suffering from a head injury. The sheriff’s department said Kessler was involved in an altercation with another person and hit his head when he fell backward.

At a news conference the following week, Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said the investigation involved a 50-year-old man from Moorpark who was at the rally in support of Palestinians. At the October news conference, the man described as being “cooperative” called 911 to seek medical help for the victim and was briefly detained, officials said.

The sheriff's department confirmed Thursday that man was Alnaji.

At the time, authorities said there might be others involved in the altercation. Fryhoff said investigators have received "conflicting information" about what happened at the rally.

Kessler was still conscious when deputies met with him at the hospital, where he later died, the sheriff's department said.

An autopsy indicated Kessler died from a blunt force head injury.

At a Friday news conference, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said the evidence does not support filing of hate crime charges, but he added that element of the investigation is ongoing.

Agents with the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office are in communication with the Ventura County Sheriff’s to determine the circumstances of the death, according to the FBI.

Under California penal code, involuntary manslaughter is defined as when someone is killed by an unlawful act less severe than a felony or by a lawful act which might produce death in an unlawful manner or without due caution. 

Authorities are seeking the public's help with the investigation. Anyone who witnessed the incident, has knowledge of this incident, or was present at the demonstration is asked to contact the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.