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Man who attacked Dave Chappelle onstage accused of trying to murder roommate

Isaiah Lee is accused of stabbing his roommate in December, authorities said.
/ Source: NBC News

The man accused of attacking Dave Chappelle during a show in Los Angeles this month was charged Thursday with the attempted murder of his roommate, authorities said.

Isaiah Lee, 23, is accused of stabbing his roommate during a fight Dec. 2 at a transitional housing apartment, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Bail hearing for Dave Chappelle attacker Isaiah Lee, Los Angeles, California, USA - 10 May 2022
Isaiah Lee, the Los Angeles man accused of climbing onto the Hollywood Bowl stage and tackling comedian Dave Chappelle, appears in a bail hearing in Los Angeles, on May 10, 2022.Shutterstock

The roommate reported the assault to authorities but identified his assailant as Lee only after publicity from the May 3 incident with Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl, the release said.

Additional details about the fight and the delay in identifying Lee were not immediately available. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lee pleaded not guilty at a hearing Thursday, the prosecutor’s office said.

It was not clear whether Lee has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. The lawyer representing him in the Hollywood Bowl case did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the new allegation.

Lee was charged with four misdemeanor crimes in the case involving Chappelle after video posted to social media showed a man running on stage and tackling the entertainer, who was performing the fourth night of “Dave Chappelle and Friends,” around 10:40 p.m.

Lee in court on Thursday.
Lee in court on Thursday.KNBC

Authorities said Lee was armed with a replica handgun with a knife blade. Sources familiar with the incident said he did not do anything with it.

Los Angeles police initially charged Lee with felony assault with a deadly weapon, but the district attorney’s office — which prosecutes felonies — referred the case to the city attorney for possible misdemeanor charges.

Lee was charged with battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer. He pleaded not guilty.

Authorities have not identified a possible motive. If he is convicted, Lee faces a maximum of 1½ years in jail and a $4,000 fine.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.