Charged with multiple felony counts that could add up to life in prison, the suspect accused in an attack on a Jewish couple walking to a Beverly Hills, California, synagogue is facing serious repercussions.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón declared at a news conference that rising antisemitic violence and other hate crimes will not be tolerated under his leadership.
“Our nation is facing a crisis of hate crime, and these cases are symptoms of that,” Gascón said, adding that his office will “continue to aggressively prosecute these cases.”
Jarris Jay Silagi, 44, faces one count of attempted second-degree robbery, one count of injurious elder abuse, one count of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of assault by means of force, with an enhancement allegation. Prosecutors asked the court to set bail at $1.31 million.
The suspect, whom prosecutor Paul Kim described as homeless, pleaded not guilty Tuesday. The court’s doubt could trigger pretrial proceedings to determine whether Silagi is competent to stand trial.
The victims, a 70-year-old woman named Rebecca and her 75-year-old husband Raphy, detailed the horrifying attack, with Rebecca recounting that the attacker struck her husband in the head without warning before yelling at her, “Give me your earrings, Jew.”
The attacker’s numerous charges could add up to a maximum sentence of life in prison if the DA prevails.


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