Boy, 10, Abducted from Playground Found Safe; Mother Recounts Ordeal

A serious incident involving the suspected abduction of 10-year-old Yahli from a playground in Petah Tikva has caused significant public anxiety and prompted extensive searches. Yahli disappeared from the playground beneath his home on Sunday night and was found hours later in Bnei Brak. His mother, Shiran Sofer-Shabtai, described the terrifying moments when she realized her son was missing and began searching for him.

During the search, other children who were at the playground reported that a young man, estimated to be 19 or 20 years old, had approached them asking for money and phones, and had threatened them. The mother explained that the suspect manipulated Yahli emotionally, exploiting his innocence and compassion to convince him to accompany him to Bnei Brak. Yahli, believing he was helping someone in need, even received a necklace from the suspect as a gift.

The family's ordeal concluded when police located Yahli and arrested the suspect. "He went on a video call with a police officer who found him at the same time," the mother recounted, describing the emotional moment of his recovery. She added that Yahli is now safe and trying to process the event, while the family grapples with the experience of teaching children to be helpful while encountering such exploitation.