Attorney among 3 charged in Santana Row attack outside restaurant
No hate crime charges in Santana Row attack
Prosecutors said they are not pursuing hate crime charges at this time, though the investigation remains ongoing.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Prosecutors have charged three suspects in a daytime attack outside a busy Santana Row restaurant, including one man who is an attorney, after they were caught on video punching two Israeli-American men speaking Hebrew.
Bruneil Henry Chamaki, 32, of Morgan Hill, along with brothers Roma Akoyans, 20, and Ramon Akoyans, 18, both of San Jose, face assault and battery charges in connection with the March 8 brawl outside Augustine restaurant on March 8.
They are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on May 12 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
In court documents, the victims said that at least one of the suspects yelled "F--- Jews" before punching them on the street outside the restaurant, according to the police report and statement of facts obtained by the Morgan Hill Times.
"We won’t tolerate pummeling a victim on the ground in front of a restaurant or anywhere, and we will hold the perpetrators fully accountable," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. "Our public spaces have to be safe for all to enjoy without fear."
In the police report, Roma is listed as a student at West Valley College.
Chamaki was an attorney with Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld LLP.
In a statement to KTVU, a representative for the law firm said the suspect previously worked for the law firm, but has not been affiliated with the firm since the end of January.
"Murphy Austin was shocked and disturbed to learn of the violent incident reported in San Jose," the statement said. "The conduct described in the reports is deeply troubling. Murphy Austin condemns antisemitism, violence, and acts of hatred in any form."
Video: Attack at San Jose’s Santana Row investigated as possible hate crime
San Jose police are investigating an attack at Santana Row over the weekend as a possible hate crime after victims reported that suspects hurled antisemitic remarks during the assault.
What led up to fight?
What we know:
Prosecutors said the victims and suspects did not know each other.
The victims told investigators they were waiting for a table at Augustine and were speaking Hebrew with one another.
Police said video from the restaurant shows the victims approaching the restaurant and requesting a table. At the same time, the suspects were walking nearby.
According to police, one of the victims made eye contact with the suspects as the groups passed each other and words were exchanged.
One of the victims said the suspects were looking at them "very weird," so he asked whether they knew him. Authorities said one of the suspects then allegedly punched him without warning, and someone yelled an antisemitic slur.
According to the police report, one of the suspects yelled "F--- Jews," before throwing punches. A passing witness told police that he thought he heard the suspects yell "Don't f--- with Iran."
That’s when the fight escalated.
KTVU has not viewed the restaurant’s surveillance video, but there are screenshots included in the police report
The evidence
Police linked the suspects to the crime from surveillance video in the restaurant, in the parking garage of Santana Row and their Instagram accounts.
Other anonymous sources called police to say they knew the suspects to be antisemitic. One caller, who saw the video of the fight on KTVU, said the suspects had been kicked out of the Assyrian Church of the East "for their behavior," according to the police report.
The victims then ID'd the suspects from a photo lineup.
Featured
San Jose police make arrest after post-Super Bowl mass shooting
San Jose police on Monday announced the arrest of a Washington state man following a post-Super Bowl gathering where six people were shot.
Victim knocked unconscious
One of the victims told investigators he was knocked unconscious for several seconds during the attack.
Jewish Silicon Valley CEO Daniel Klein said the victims are Israeli-American men.
"While they were waiting for their table, three people came up to them out of nowhere and knocked one of the victims out cold and then three of them jumped on top of the other victim," Klein said.
Bystander video captured three men wearing black shirts repeatedly punching a person believed to be one of the victims as onlookers watched.
In the video, voices can be heard yelling, "Knock it off," before the three men run away.
Hate crime charges not filed — for now
Prosecutors said they are not pursuing hate crime charges at this time, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Victim previously targeted in hate crime
Dig deeper:
KTVU has learned that one of the victims has previously been the target of a hate crime.
The victim owns an HVAC company in San Jose, where company vans were vandalized with swastikas in August of last year.
San Jose police investigated that incident, but authorities say there is currently no known connection between that vandalism and the Santana Row assault.
The Source: This story was written based on information from the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, a San Jose police report, witness video, and previous reporting.