Suspect in Boy's Abduction May Have Targeted Other Children

A court in Petah Tikva extended the arrest of a 20-year-old Jerusalem man suspected of abducting 10-year-old Yaheli Sofer by four days, until September 10. Police are investigating the possibility that the suspect has targeted other children across the country, a representative for law enforcement stated during a court hearing. The police "received information about minor boys and girls in different locations in the country and are checking it," the representative added.

The suspect allegedly approached Yaheli and his friends on a playground on August 30, demanding money. While the other children left, Yaheli remained with the stranger, who claimed to have been kicked out of his home and needed help collecting alms. The suspect manipulated Yaheli, convincing him to help collect money, including a 100 shekel donation, before taking him on a bus to Bnei Brak.

Yaheli was found the next morning, August 31, in Bnei Brak along with the suspect. The boy's mother, Shiran Shabtai Sofer, recounted that the suspect had deleted a phone call record after borrowing a phone from one of the children. The suspect claims he met the boy on the street and was trying to help him get home after the child said he was lost.

The court found reasonable suspicion against the man, rejecting the defense's request for his release. The defense attorney stated the suspect has intellectual development disorders and requested he be released under restrictive conditions or have his detention shortened. The court ruled that the suspect took the child without parental consent and gave him a cigarette. A gag order is in place regarding the publication of further details from the hearing.

Yaheli was located using the suspect's phone's geolocation. The article also mentions a separate case where the suspect was charged with luring and raping a 15-year-old girl in Petah Tikva.