Santana Row assault; Morgan Hill resident charged

Santa Clara County prosecutors said on May 13 that three men arraigned in the March 8 Santana Row assault will not, for now, face hate-crime enhancements. The case stems from a daytime attack outside Augustine restaurant in San Jose that was captured on bystander video and drew scrutiny from Jewish groups after the victims said they were speaking Hebrew when they were attacked. Prosecutors charged Bruneil Henry Chamaki, 32, of Morgan Hill, and San Jose brothers Roma Akoyans, 20, and Ramon Akoyans, 18, with assault-related counts in March. District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s office has said the investigation remains active and that it is continuing to review new information. ### Who has been charged in the Santana Row attack? Bruneil Henry Chamaki, Roma Akoyans and Ramon Akoyans were formally charged after surrendering to San Jose police on March 16, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said all three face felony assault charges, and Chamaki also faces a misdemeanor battery count. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office identified Chamaki as a 32-year-old Morgan Hill resident, while Roma Akoyans, 20, and Ramon Akoyans, 18, were identified as San Jose residents. NBC Bay Area and other local outlets reported that the attack happened outside Augustine Restaurant on Santana Row. ### Why are there no hate-crime charges right now? (da.santaclaracounty.gov) Jeff Rosen’s office said when charges were announced on March 16 that they “do not reflect allegations of a hate crime at this time.” The office added then that the matter remained an active investigation and that prosecutors were working with San Jose police to review new information. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) The Mercury News and J. reported on May 13 that prosecutors told the court they were declining, at least for now, to add hate-crime enhancements because they did not believe they had enough admissible evidence to prove antisemitic intent beyond a reasonable doubt. Those reports said the decision followed weeks of public attention and concern from Jewish community members who had urged authorities to pursue bias allegations. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) ### What do police and the victims say happened outside Augustine? San Jose police said officers responded at about 3:38 p.m. on March 8 to an assault at Santana Row that they initially investigated as a possible hate crime. NBC Bay Area, KRON4 and ABC7 reported that the two victims said they had been speaking Hebrew before three men approached and attacked them. (mercurynews.com) Video of the confrontation showed three men punching two others outside the restaurant, according to NBC Bay Area. Local coverage said one victim was briefly unconscious and both men were treated at a hospital and later released. ### Why did the case draw such a strong reaction in the South Bay? Jewish Silicon Valley and other Jewish organizations publicly condemned the attack in the days after the video spread online. (kron4.com) NBC Bay Area reported that the group’s chief executive said he planned to meet with city officials about how to prevent similar incidents. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on March 11 that Jewish leaders in California said the assault on Hebrew-speaking Israeli Americans had intensified fears about antisemitic incidents. (nbcbayarea.com) That reaction helped keep attention on whether prosecutors would ultimately pursue hate-crime allegations. ### What happens next in the criminal case? (nbcbayarea.com) The May 13 arraignment moved the case into the next stage of criminal proceedings in Santa Clara County Superior Court, according to reports from the hearing. Court scheduling beyond the arraignment was not clearly available in publicly indexed sources reviewed here, but prosecutors have said the investigation is still open. (jta.org) San Jose police said on March 16 that they were still seeking information from the public as investigators continued to build the case. The District Attorney’s Office directed anyone with knowledge of the assault to contact the San Jose Police Department at 408-277-4161. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) (jweekly.com)