Security-camera footage has exposed a pattern of assaults in Tel Aviv by a man who reportedly walks up to pedestrians and slams into them with his body, making the attacks look like accidental collisions. According to the report, several residents have been targeted in recent months in central and southern parts of the city, and two complaints have already been filed with police.
The latest incident, captured on camera on Thursday, shows the man approaching a woman leaving a business, stepping into her path and striking her hard enough to send her crashing to the ground. She remained motionless for a moment, prompting the business owner to come outside and check what happened. The man then pretended to help, as if it had been a coincidence, before leaving after a few moments.
One victim, identified as Keren, said, “I was walking on the street and he just hit into me hard. It hurt like crazy.” She said he first apologized, but when she told him he had done it on purpose, “he said, ‘What do you mean?’ and started getting angry, ‘Tell the police I’m here training at the gym near Migdal Shalom, no problem.’” Keren added that nearby vendors told her he does this regularly, and that after seeing the video she was sure it was the same man. Another resident, Amit, said the man hit him near Suzanne Dellal while he was walking with his partner, and that he and others recognized him from the footage.
A third resident said the man had also done the same to his sister, who is now afraid to walk alone in the neighborhood. Another man said his wife was attacked on Shalma Street, where the assailant shouted at her in Spanish-accented Hebrew. Residents say they have identified his name, photo and the gym where he works out, but police have not yet located the suspect. One resident said he will file an online complaint today.
