A Carlsbad man was arrested Monday in connection with an alleged assault on a Jewish man near a synagogue in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles two years ago.
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Zaid Gitesatani, 28, of Carlsbad, pleaded not guilty to one count of hate crime at his arraignment Monday in Los Angeles federal court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman ordered him released on $10,000 bond.
According to the indictment, a real estate agency known as My Home in Israel advertised an event scheduled for June 23, 2024, at the Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles. The event was to promote land for sale in Israel.
Several pro-Palestinian groups then planned and advertised a protest to take place at the event.
Prosecutors allege Gitesatani traveled to Los Angeles to attend the protest.
On the afternoon of the event, a Jewish man was walking his dog near the synagogue when Gitesatani approached from behind and punched him in the jaw, according to federal prosecutors.
Gitesatani then walked away and retreated into the crowd, the indictment says.
On the same day, Gitesatani allegedly posted to his Instagram account a screenshot of the assault, along with an antisemitic slur and two images of himself displaying his bruised knuckles, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“The defendant’s conduct, if proven, is a serious violation of the law — every American deserves to live without fear of violence based on who he is or how he worships,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting such crimes of hate and violence.”
The DOJ alleges that in the days following the assault, Gitesatani had an exchange via Instagram with another user regarding the attack. Gitesatani allegedly posted, “I swung good on them,” and “It was satisfying.”
He is also alleged to have posted on Instagram a still image of his assault on the man, according to the indictment.
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