Man Indicted for Threatening, Attacking Passerby in Tel Aviv

A man in his 30s from Kiryat Gat has been indicted for allegedly threatening two pedestrians in central Tel Aviv and demanding their mobile phones. The incident occurred on August 29th at night. According to the indictment, the suspect first approached a passerby on Yehuda Halevi Street, demanding his phone. When refused, the suspect grabbed a stick from a nearby trash can, pressed it to the man's neck, and again demanded the device. The first victim managed to push him away.

The suspect then approached Andy Spitzer, 66, who was working as a security guard in a building on the same street. The indictment states the suspect demanded Spitzer's phone, threatening to kill him. When Spitzer refused, the suspect allegedly hit him in the face with the stick and choked him, causing an injury to his nose. The phone fell during the struggle, and the suspect took it before leaving. Spitzer recounted the terrifying moments to Walla, stating, "He came at me with a stick, choked me, and screamed: 'I will murder you.'" He added that the attacker demanded, "Give me the phone or I'll kill you."

Spitzer explained that he had gone outside after hearing a noise and saw the man threatening others. He also mentioned seeing the attacker wielding a metal ashtray. Passersby who witnessed the assault intervened and detained the suspect until police arrived. Officers from the Lev Tel Aviv station found the suspect near the scene with Spitzer's stolen phone in his possession. He was arrested and taken for questioning, and the phone was returned.

Spitzer, who has worked as a guard for years, expressed that he had never encountered such violence and still feels unsafe returning to his post. The Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office has filed charges against the suspect for two counts of demanding property by threat and assaulting an elderly person causing actual harm. The police have requested his detention until the legal proceedings conclude.