Missing Boy Found Safe After Apparent Kidnapping in Central Israel

A 10-year-old boy, Yahli, who went missing from his home in Petah Tikva on Sunday evening, was found safe early Monday morning in Bnei Brak, alongside a 20-year-old suspect believed to have abducted him. The search for Yahli began around 8:30 PM after he failed to return from a nearby playground. His mother, Shiran Shabtai, recounted the terrifying hours, explaining that a young man approached the children in the park asking for money. When they said they had none, he began using their phones to search for directions to Bnei Brak on Waze, providing investigators with their first lead.

The suspect allegedly made and deleted a call from one of the children's phones, but cyber units were able to trace the call and track him down. Yahli described his fear, stating the man "kidnapped me" and forced him to ask strangers for money, leading them far from home. The boy was located in Bnei Brak around 1:30 AM with the suspect. Police arrested the 20-year-old on suspicion of kidnapping.

Yahli's mother expressed her relief and anger, stating, "My heart sank, I was stressed for hours. Someone like that, who is dangerous to the public and kidnapped my child, cannot be walking around outside." The suspect is expected to appear in Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court on Monday for a remand hearing, while Yahli and his mother will be questioned further as part of the investigation.