Suspect Arrested for String of Five Armed Robberies Using Gas and Knife

Police in Yavne have arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for at least five armed robberies carried out over the past month in Yavne and Ness Ziona. The suspect, a man in his 40s from Ashkelon, allegedly used a consistent method in all incidents: spraying employees with tear gas, threatening them with a knife, and fleeing with tens of thousands of shekels.

Security camera footage captured the suspect during several of these alleged crimes. In one instance at a Dor Alon gas station in Yavne, the suspect sprayed an employee with tear gas and threatened them before robbing the cash register. This same gas station was targeted multiple times within a two-week period. The footage shows an employee attempting to confront the suspect during one of these robberies, only to be sprayed with tear gas.

The suspect also allegedly robbed a gas station in Ness Ziona using the same tactics, and a kiosk in Yavne. Following a series of complaints, detectives from the Yavne police station launched an investigation. After extensive investigative work, officers apprehended the suspect.

An indictment has since been filed against the suspect for five serious robbery charges. The total amount stolen across the five incidents is estimated to be in the tens of thousands of shekels. The legal proceedings against him are currently ongoing in court.