Suspected Child Abductor's Detention Extended Amid New Allegations

A Petah Tikva court has extended the arrest of a 19-year-old homeless Jerusalem resident for the fourth time, who is suspected of abducting 10-year-old Yaheli Sofer. The decision by Judge Oren Boaz on Thursday, September 10, was temporarily suspended pending an appeal. Police stated that Yaheli provided new details to investigators, strengthening suspicions against the detainee. These details included the suspect leading the boy to a bomb shelter, from which Yaheli later escaped while being pursued. A passerby noticed the boy and alerted the police.

Investigators received information from parents of two girls who identified the suspect as someone who had approached their children. In one instance, the suspect allegedly engaged in harassment and threats, and in another, threats possibly involving a knife. Police noted that the suspect had previously waited for the girls outside their home in Hadera for several months, causing them fear. While direct links between these incidents and the abduction are unconfirmed, police emphasized that these cases demonstrate a "stable pattern of behavior" and the suspect's danger.

Judge Boaz deemed the suspicion of abduction "serious" with "high certainty" and noted that the evidence base has strengthened, including a confession related to the harassment and threats allegations. Yaheli Sofer disappeared from a playground in Petah Tikva on August 30 and was found the next day in Bnei Brak with the suspect. Yaheli's mother, Shiran Shabtai-Sofer, reported that the suspect initially demanded money from children on the playground before convincing Yaheli to help him collect money, leading to the boy being taken to Bnei Brak on a bus.

The boy was located using the suspect's phone's geolocation. Police confirmed the child was taken without parental consent. Another judge, Gil Gabay, denied the defense's request for the suspect's release, citing sufficient grounds for suspicion despite information about his intellectual disability. Previous court extensions on September 3 and 7 noted that suspicions remained "valid and very serious," as police investigated potential attacks on other minors nationwide.