LOS ANGELES — A man who prosecutors said was part of a wild mob that attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on UCLA's campus last year was granted diversion Monday, meaning he will avoid jail time.

Edan On, 19, was charged with misdemeanor assault this year for swinging a pipe at members of the encampment in May 2024.

L.A. County Superior Court Judge Liliana Gonzalez cited his age, lack of criminal history and the fact that On is working full-time as factors to grant him diversion over the objection of prosecutors from the city attorney's office during a brief hearing in the Airport Courthouse on Monday morning.

On did not appear at the hearing and has not shown up in court since he was charged in April.

Before the city attorney's office charged On with misdemeanor battery, independent journalist Eric Levai published photos suggesting On had left the country and joined the Israel Defense Forces. On's attorney, Kevin Gres, declined to comment on his client's work status or say whether he had enlisted in the Israeli military. The IDF has not responded to inquiries from The Times about On.

Most of the discussion around the diversion agreement took place in Gonzalez's chambers, out of the public's view.

Gres said in court filings that some information about his client had to be discussed in private because On has faced death threats.

Under the terms of his diversion agreement, On must stay away from the UCLA campus, complete 50 hours of community service and take part in anti-bias training, Gonzalez said.

"My client is young and he's looking to put this behind him," Gres said outside court.

The city attorney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gonzalez's logic in granting diversion echoed much of the reasoning the Los Angeles County district attorney's office gave last year when declining to file felony assault charges in the case. Prosecutors also noted On's victims suffered only minor injuries, records show.

In a motion asking Gonzalez for diversion, Gres referred to the encampment as "pro-Hamas" and said his client had been deeply affected by the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that saw Hamas fighters kill nearly 1,200 Israelis and kidnap 251 others.

The attacks sparked a near two-year military campaign that has left more than 64,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health authorities. A team of experts commissioned by the United Nations last week concluded Israel's military campaign in Gaza has amounted to an act of genocide.

"He is Israeli, Jewish and cares deeply about global politics and current events," Gres wrote of On in the motion. "He has friends and family fighting in Israel, and friends who were murdered on Oct. 7th."

The case appeared to close out the last remaining criminal proceedings related to the UCLA encampment attack. Although local police arrested roughly 350 people related to pro-Palestinian encampments at USC and UCLA last year, the city attorney's office declined to file charges against the vast majority of them.

Another man accused of assaulting pro-Palestinian demonstrators and hurling racial epithets at them was also granted diversion in July.

Misdemeanor proceedings against one pro-Palestinian demonstrator remain ongoing, records show.

_____

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.