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A man accused of accosting a Jewish couple in their 70s in Beverly Hills, attacking the man with a belt while allegedly making antisemitic comments and attempting to rob the woman, was found Wednesday to be mentally incompetent to stand trial.
A placement hearing for Jarris Jay Silagi, 44, was scheduled for Feb. 7, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Silagi is charged with one count each of elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted robbery and two counts of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, along with allegations of a hate crime and personally inflicting great bodily injury.
The criminal complaint also alleges that Silagi has prior convictions from 2013 for attempted robbery and 2021 for first-degree burglary.
The victim and his wife were in the area of North Rexford Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard at about 9 a.m. Dec. 9 when the suspect — who had no relationship with the couple — made antisemitic statements to the victim, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department, whose station is located feet away from the site of the attack.
The man suffered a laceration on his head after being struck with a belt and was treated at the scene by Beverly Hills Fire Department paramedics. Police said he did not require hospitalization.
The suspect, who also allegedly tried to rob the victim’s wife by demanding her jewelry, fled the scene prior to police arrival, but was later arrested after being spotted by a BHPD senior forensic specialist, according to police.
Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook called the attack a “despicable act of hate against a member of our community,” saying such crimes “will not be tolerated.”
After the attack, victim Raphy Nissel told KTLA that as an Orthodox Jew he does not drive on the Sabbath, which in Judaism is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. His wife Rebecca told the station the suspect held the belt “in his hand,” hit her husband “over the head, and he yelled … ‘Give me your earrings, Jew.'”
Raphy Nissel said at the start of the attack he did not know what the man was hitting him with.
“I didn’t realize what it was, but it was very heavy, very hard and very painful,” he explained. “But I didn’t fall down. I just was perplexed at what was going on.”
According to Raphy Nissel, his assailant most likely noticed his religious garb and targeted him because he is Jewish.
“I immediately connected the dots together and understand,” he said. “I’m wearing a kippah and a white shirt, which Jews wear on Saturday. He knows I’m Jewish and wants to hit me because I’m Jewish.”
