Suspect Held in Kidnapping of 10-Year-Old Boy in Petah Tikva

A Petah Tikva court extended the remand of a suspect accused of kidnapping 10-year-old Yaheli by six days on Thursday, September 3. A gag order preventing the publication of the suspect's identity remains in effect. Police stated that it is still unclear if the suspect harmed Yaheli, as the boy was too traumatized during an initial interview to provide a full account. The interview was paused at the child's request and will resume later. Other child witnesses have yet to be interviewed.

During the hearing, Yaheli's mother and a relative of the suspect were present, along with the suspect's attorney, Frida Vol, who criticized the police for leaking information to the media. Judge Erez Malamed acknowledged the seriousness of the suspicions against the detainee, citing his danger to the public and the need for further investigation, thus extending the arrest until September 8.

Video footage shows Yaheli playing on a playground shortly before being put on a bus to Bnei Brak with a 20-year-old man he did not know. Yaheli's mother recounted that the suspect initially demanded money from the children, causing them to scatter. Yaheli, feeling pity for the man who claimed to be homeless and penniless, stayed behind. The suspect then allegedly used Yaheli to beg for money, receiving 100 shekels before they boarded a bus to Bnei Brak.

Yaheli was located using the suspect's phone's geolocation. The suspect claimed he met Yaheli on the street and was helping a lost child return home. The court determined the suspect took the child without parental consent and gave him a cigarette. The suspect was taken into custody after being found with Yaheli in Bnei Brak around 1 a.m.