Carlsbad Man Charged With Hate Crime After Punching Jewish Man At Protest: Authorities

LOS ANGELES — A San Diego County man is charged with a hate crime after he punched a Jewish man while protesting an event at a synagogue in Los Angeles and then bragged about the attack on social media, authorities said.

Zaid Gitesatani, 28, of Carlsbad, was arrested Monday and is charged with one count of hate crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was ordered released on $10,000 bond, with a tentative trial date set for July 14.

The attack occurred June 23, 2024, near the Adas Torah Synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, where a real estate agency called My Home in Israel was holding an event to promote land for sale in the country, authorities said.

Several pro-Palestinian groups organized a protest of the event, which Gitesatani attended, according to the department.

On the afternoon of the event and protest, a Jewish man was walking his dog near the synagogue when Gitesatani approached him from behind and punched him in the jaw, causing pain, redness and swelling, authorities said.

Following the attack, Gitesatani posted images on Instagram of the assault and his own bruised knuckles, and discussed the incident online, admitting to violence and using pejorative language, according to the department.

“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 department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a news release.

If convicted, Gitesatani faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the department.

City News Service contributed to this story.