Introduction
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Three men, including an attorney, have been charged in connection with the March 8 attack outside the Augustine restaurant on Santana Street in San Jose.
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Authorities said the suspect attacked two men who were waiting for their food. Victims reported that anti-Semitic slurs were hurled at them while they were speaking Hebrew shortly before the attack.
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Authorities said no hate crime charges have been filed but the investigation is ongoing.
San Jose, California – Prosecutors have accused three suspects, one of whom is a lawyer, of carrying out the daytime attack outside a busy restaurant on Santana Street.
Henry Brunell Chamaki, 32, of Morgan Hill, and brothers Roma Akoyans, 20, and Ramon Akoyans, 18, both of San Jose, face assault and battery charges stemming from the March 8 fight outside Augustine’s.
According to the California State Bar website, Chamaki is an active attorney at Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP.
A representative for the law firm said in a statement to KTVU that the suspect previously worked at the law firm but has no longer had any relationship with the law firm since the end of January.
“Murphy Austin was shocked and disturbed to learn of the violence in San Jose,” the statement said.
The law firm representative went on to say: “The behavior described in the report is deeply disturbing. Murphy Austin condemns anti-Semitism, violence and hate in any form.”
What led to the fighting?
what we know
Prosecutors said the victim and suspect did not know each other.
“We will not tolerate assaults on victims in front of restaurants or anywhere, and we will hold perpetrators fully accountable,” said District Attorney Jeff Rosen. “Our public spaces must be safe for all to enjoy without fear.”
The victim told investigators they were waiting for a table at Augustine’s and spoke Hebrew to each other.
Video from the restaurant shows the victim approaching the restaurant and asking for a seat, police said. Meanwhile, the suspect was walking nearby.
According to police, one of the victims made eye contact with the suspect as he walked by and spoke.
One victim said the suspect looked at them “really weird” so he asked them if they knew him. One of the suspects then punched and kicked him without warning, and someone shouted anti-Semitic curses, authorities said.
Just then, the fight escalated.
KTVU has not reviewed the restaurant’s surveillance video.
The victim is unconscious
One victim told investigators he was knocked unconscious for several seconds during the attack.
Jewish Silicon Valley CEO Daniel Klein said the victim was an Israeli-American male.
“While they were waiting for a table, three individuals suddenly walked up to them, knocked one of the victims unconscious, and then three of them jumped on top of the other victim,” Klein said.
Bystander video shows three men wearing black shirts repeatedly beating a man believed to be the victim as onlookers looked on.
In the video, someone can be heard yelling “Stop it” before the trio run away.
No hate crime charges have been filed yet
Prosecutors said they will not pursue hate crime charges at this time, although the investigation is ongoing.
Victims have been targets of hate crimes
Dig deeper
KTVU has learned that one of the victims had previously been the target of a hate crime.
The victim owned an HVAC company in San Jose whose van was vandalized with Nazi symbols last August.
San Jose police investigated the incident, but authorities said there was no known connection between the vandalism and the Santana Street attack.
source
This story was based on information from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and previous reporting.