CARLSBAD — A Carlsbad man was arrested Monday in connection with an alleged assault on a Jewish man near a synagogue in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles two years ago.
Zaid Gitesatani, 28, of Carlsbad, pleaded not guilty to one count of a hate crime at his arraignment Monday in Los Angeles federal court.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael B. Kaufman ordered him released on a $10,000 bond. A tentative trial date was scheduled for July 14.
According to the indictment, a real estate agency known as My Home in Israel advertised an event scheduled for June 23, 2024, at the Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood. The event was intended to promote land for sale in Israel.
Several pro-Palestinian groups then planned and advertised a protest at the event. One of the advertisements stated protesters would “stand against settler expansion,” court papers show.
Prosecutors allege Gitesatani traveled to Los Angeles to attend the protest.
On the afternoon of the event, a Jewish man whose name was not revealed in court papers was walking his dog near the synagogue when Gitesatani approached from behind and punched him in the jaw, according to federal prosecutors.
Gitesatani then walked away and retreated into the crowd, the indictment alleges.
On the same day, Gitesatani allegedly posted to his Instagram account a screenshot of the assault with a message that read, “Whooped the Zios today and we took their flag,” along with two images of himself displaying bruised knuckles following the assault, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“The defendant’s conduct, if proven, is a serious violation of the law — every American deserves to live without fear of violence based on who he is or how he worships,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement.
“The Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting such crimes of hate and violence.”
The DOJ alleges that in the days following the assault, Gitesatani exchanged Instagram messages with another user regarding the attack. Gitesatani allegedly wrote, “I whopped 2 zios,” “I swung good on them,” and “It was satisfying.”
He is also alleged to have posted on Instagram a still image of the assault with the caption, “The Chosen People sometimes need a good smack to wake up,” according to the indictment filed in downtown Los Angeles.
The arrest follows a July 2025 FBI search of Gitesatani’s Carlsbad home previously reported by The Coast News. Federal agents and Carlsbad police officers executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Meadow Drive residence, though authorities at the time declined to disclose the nature of the investigation.
Gitesatani is the operator of the online vigilante page “Creep Catcher (CC) Unit,” which posted videos of alleged sexual predators in North County communities. No federal charges had been filed against him at the time of the search.
The Coast News left a message for Gitesatani seeking comment and will update the story with any developments.
If convicted, Gitesatani could face up to 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
The Coast News reporter Leo Place contributed to the report.
