Victim of alleged anti-Semitic attack demands more than $1.6 million from attackers

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

2 2 minutes read

An Armenian-American photographer who was allegedly hit with a bottle and beaten by two attackers while speaking with a group of Jewish men outside a Beverly Grove restaurant in 2021 is seeking more than $1.6 million in a a default judgment against his two alleged attackers.

Photographer Mher Hagopian is suing Samer Jaylusi and Xavier Pabon in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging civil rights violations, assault, battery, conspiracy to commit assault, negligence and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hagopian's attorneys filed court papers Friday with Alhambra Superior Court Judge Ian C. Fusselman seeking $1 million in punitive damages and nearly $624,000 in compensatory damages each accused.

The proposed default judgment “would send a clear and resounding message that anti-Semitism is not tolerated in our country,” Hagopian’s lawyers say in their court papers.

Jaylusi and Pabon ignored the dispute. Representatives for the couple could not immediately be contacted.

Cell phone video was recorded of the attack on May 18, 2021, which took place around 9:45 p.m. in front of Sushi Fumi, a Japanese restaurant located on North La Cienega Boulevard. A group of cars flying Palestinian flags arrived with about two dozen passengers and megaphones, the complaint says.

“The convoy was there simply to search for Jews,” the complaint states. “Indeed, the area of Los Angeles adjacent to Sushi Fumi is widely known as one of the centers of Jewish life in Los Angeles. »

Hagopian was hired to take photos at his Jewish friend's upcoming wedding, so the two of them and two Jewish friends of the groom-to-be met for dinner out at Sushi Fumi to discuss wedding plans, according to the complaint filed in March 2022 .

The identities of most of the convoy's passengers were obscured by hoodies or other clothing that partially or fully covered their faces, the complaint states. They shouted anti-Semitic remarks, including “dirty Jew,” “are you Jewish?” “, “are you Israeli? and “Be ashamed of yourselves,” the lawsuit states.

“Refusing to be intimidated, Hagopian’s friends responded that they were Jewish,” the complaint states.

At least one bottle thrown from the convoy hit Hagopian in the head and another glass object shattered on the sidewalk near restaurant patrons, according to the complaint.

“All hell broke loose,” the suit states.

Other diners ran inside the restaurant or away from the area, but Hagopian and his friends were quickly targeted because they had no option to escape, the suit states.

“At this point, Hagopian and his friends truly feared for their lives,” the complaint states.

The plaintiff grabbed a nearby pole that surrounded Sushi Fumi's outdoor dining area and attempted to fend off the attackers and protect his friends, the suit states.

At least four men, including Jaylusi and Pabon, passed Hagopian, slammed him against a vehicle and began hitting him with their fists and arms while spraying him with chemical spray, the suit says.

Lina Portman

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