Dispute Over a Name : Cousin Denies He Solicited Death of Simi Restaurateur

A Simi Valley man is accused of trying to contract the murder of his cousin, a restaurateur who had filed suit against the man’s brother over the name of a Mexican fast-food restaurant.

Abed Mahmoud Jabaieh pleaded not guilty to two counts of solicitation for murder Tuesday in Ventura County Municipal Court in Ventura.

Jabaieh, 29, a native of Jerusalem, is being held in $250,000 bail in Ventura County Jail. He was arrested Feb. 23 after trying to arrange the contract killing of his cousin, Jamal Jabaieh, with an undercover detective from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, said Sgt. Tony Harper.

Abed Jabaieh was arrested by Simi Valley police after handing an undercover detective $400, which was to be used to purchase a gun, and promising to pay several thousand dollars more after the murder, Harper said.

Harper said Jamal Jabaieh “had no idea that he was in danger.”

Jamal Jabaieh, 23, on Feb. 11 filed a $1-million civil suit against the suspect’s brother and his own cousin, Mohamad Jabaieh, maintaining that Mohamad Jabaieh was trying to illegally use the name of Jamal Jabaieh’s restaurant. The suit also seeks a temporary restraining against Mohamad Jabaieh’s use of the name “Tico’s.”

Jamal Jabaieh owns Tico’s Mexican Food on Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley and plans to open a second restaurant with the same name on Tapo Street. Mohamad Jabaieh also plans to open a Mexican restaurant on Tapo, across from Jamal Jabaieh’s proposed second restaurant, and to call it Tico’s Grande Mexican Foods.

Harper, the chief investigating officer, said it was premature to discuss in detail a motive for the case, but said the suspect “stood to gain a lot of money if this guy was killed.”

Harper said last week that the investigation began after a private investigator told police that Abed Jabaieh had approached him about carrying out the murder of a relative, Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Don Grant said.

A meeting was then arranged between Abed Jabaieh and an undercover officer who was introduced as someone who might carry out the contract killing.

Mohamad Jabaieh sold the original Tico’s on Los Angeles Street to Jamal Jabaieh three years ago and maintains that, under a provision of the sale, he had the right to use the Tico name.

But Jamal Jabaieh claims that the men had an understanding that Mohamad Jabaieh could use the Tico name as long as it was not used in Simi Valley. “I don’t mind him opening the restaurant, but I don’t want him using the same name because it confuses the customers,” Jamal Jabaieh said.

A preliminary hearing for the criminal case was set for April 11 in Ventura County Municipal Court.