Man arrested in suspected antisemitic attack outside L.A. sushi restaurant, police say
Authorities arrested a man in connection with a suspected antisemitic hate crime attack on diners outside a Westside sushi restaurant this week.
The man, whom police did not name, was taken into custody at a home outside Los Angeles around 10:15 p.m. Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. A U.S. Marshals Service task force assisted in the arrest, which came after investigators received multiple tips from the public, the LAPD said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, and investigators have requested enhanced bail because they believe the crime was motivated by hate, police said. Detectives will also recommend additional hate-crime charges, they said.
Police described the man as one of the primary suspects in the attack, which took place about 10 p.m. Tuesday night outside a sushi restaurant in the West Hollywood area by people shouting slogans against Israel.
Investigators are continuing to look for the other suspects, they said.
Los Angeles public officials gathered Thursday outside City Hall to condemn recent attacks against members of the Jewish community.
The assault came after a deadly battle in the Gaza Strip and Israel, escalating tensions in the U.S. among supporters of Israel and those who back the Palestinians. A fragile cease-fire went into effect Friday.
A video capturing part of the Tuesday night attack shows people in a caravan of cars flying Palestinian flags yelling, “F— you” and “You guys should be ashamed of yourselves” as they drive by the restaurant.
At one point before the attack, which later escalated to kicking and punching, a person can be heard yelling, “Israel kills children!”
A witness told The Times that people from the car caravan began throwing bottles and other items at diners.
“They were chanting, ‘Death to Jews’ and ‘Free Palestine,’” said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous because he feared for his safety. “They had malice.”
In the video, about eight people, most dressed in black, converge on the diners. The fight grows increasingly violent as it spills farther onto the sidewalk. One man swings a metal stanchion at the attackers, who then push him against a car, punch and kick him, the video shows.
Several men were assaulted, the LAPD said.
Times staff writers Hayley Smith, Richard Winton and Lila Seidman contributed to this report.
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