The Central District Court in Lod released, on Wednesday, a 14-year-old defendant in the killing of Yimanu Benjamin Zalaka to house arrest with electronic monitoring. The release came after a positive feasibility opinion for electronic tagging and followed a decision by Judge Eliana Danieli on Monday.
According to the indictment, the teen faces charges of threats, aggravated assault as part of a group, and aggravated assault under aggravating circumstances. Prosecutors say that on Independence Day evening, an argument broke out between Zalaka and members of the group outside the branch where he worked. The boy allegedly approached Zalaka, made a threatening gesture and confrontational move, engaged him in a heated verbal exchange, then pushed him hard with both hands and knocked him to the ground.
The prosecution says that push was the signal for the rest of the group to attack. They allegedly punched and kicked Zalaka, slammed his head into the road, sprayed him with artificial snow, and kept assaulting him while he was on the ground. Zalaka was later stabbed to death by another defendant. The teen released on Wednesday is not charged with murder.
The state opposed the release, arguing that the boy played a particularly significant role. Prosecutor’s representative said in court, “The respondent 6 gave the signal for all the others to begin the violence.” Defense lawyers Chen Palachi and Amit Zimmer did not dispute the existence of evidence and grounds for detention, but asked for a juvenile-court style alternative that would neutralize any danger. Danieli said the indictment attributes the initial shove and fall to the boy, but no further specific acts of violence. She also cited two probation reports recommending electronic house arrest. The boy’s father said the family understood the seriousness of the case and would help him be treated and corrected, while his mother said she would take part in close supervision. The release joins earlier decisions freeing two other defendants to electronic house arrest, and another defendant was released today as well.
