A 28-year-old Carlsbad man is facing up to a decade in federal prison after a grand jury indicted him for allegedly assaulting a Jewish man during a tense protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue last summer.
Zaid Gitesatani was arrested today on a single federal count of committing a hate crime. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon.
The charges stem from a June 23, 2024, incident in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, where the Adas Torah Synagogue was hosting a real estate event by an agency called “My Home in Israel” to promote land sales. The event drew heavy opposition from several pro-Palestinian groups, including one that organized a demonstration to “stand against settler expansion.”
According to the indictment, which was returned on May 5, Gitesatani traveled from San Diego County specifically to join the protest.
Federal prosecutors allege that while the demonstration was underway, a Jewish man, identified only as “Victim A,” was walking his dog near the synagogue. Gitesatani reportedly approached the man from behind and punched him in the jaw, causing pain, redness, and swelling before melting back into the crowd.
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Investigators say Gitesatani then took to social media to boast about the encounter. On the day of the incident, he allegedly posted a screenshot of the assault to his personal Instagram account with the caption, “Whooped the Zios today and we took their flag,” alongside two photos showing off his bruised knuckles.
In direct messages over the next two days, Gitesatani allegedly messaged another user, writing, “I whopped 2 zios,” “I swung good on them,” and “It was satisfying,” adding that his hand was numb from the force of the punch. He also posted another still image of the altercation with the caption, “The Chosen People sometimes need a good smack to wake up.”
“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,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting such crimes of hate and violence.”
The FBI is handling the ongoing investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Alexander and Trial Attorney Erica O’Connell are prosecuting the case. If convicted, a federal judge will determine Gitesatani’s sentence, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years.
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