Los Angeles police have arrested a second man in a suspected hate crime attack on Jewish diners outside a Beverly Grove restaurant last week, authorities said Tuesday.
On May 18, a caravan of vehicles displaying Palestinian flags was driving by Sushi Fumi in the 300 block of North La Cienega Boulevard when a group of men jumped out of some vehicles, according to a witness who asked to remain anonymous. Video shared with KTLA shows punches thrown and people being beaten on a sidewalk as customers in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area look on.
The witness said the men asked the diners if any of them were “Jews,” and a fight broke out when two of them replied that they were. Staff at the restaurant rushed some patrons inside, locked the doors and called police, according to the witness.
Police later responded to the scene. No one was taken for medical treatment.
On Friday, around 10:15 p.m., police arrested 30-year-old Xavier Pabon of Banning as a primary suspect in the attack which police have described as a suspected hate crime.
Four days later, just after 1 a.m. on Tuesday, police arrested 35-year-old Samer Jayylusi of Whittier as a second suspect in the violent crime, according to LAPD.
Both men were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Pabon was taken into custody without incident outside the city of L.A., with the assistance of Inland Empire investigators and U.S. Marshal Service taskforce. LAPD requested his bail be enhanced “due to the crime being motivated by hatred,” the agency said in a news release.
He was being held on $275,000 bail, police said.
Jayylusi was arrested in the city of Anaheim and was being held on $255,000 bail.
Detectives will present the case before the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in the coming days and plan to seek hate crime charges, police said. The investigation remains ongoing.
Pabon’s arrest was the result of several tips from the public, according to LAPD.
Anyone with information is asked by LAPD to reach the department’s Wilshire Division investigators at 213-922-8205 or email WilshireMAC@lapd.online. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.