Boy, 6, Whose Mother Was Murdered Before His Eyes, Placed in Welfare Care

A 6-year-old boy with special needs, whose mother Yana Zykova was allegedly murdered by her partner in Haifa on Friday, is now under the care of Haifa's welfare services. The child, a first-grader in a special educational setting, witnessed the event and was taken from the scene by police. Social workers from the Haifa Municipality's Welfare Administration are currently seeking additional family members to assist with his care. The boy's maternal grandmother is en route to Israel to take care of him, as he is reportedly very attached to her. She had recently been in Israel assisting her daughter, who had been recovering from a long rehabilitation period after a car accident. Zykova, who lived alone on the fourth floor of the building where she was killed, immigrated to Israel from a former Soviet republic. According to neighbors, she and her partner were separated and had a 'complicated' relationship, stating they did not live together. Neighbors reported hearing shouting from the apartment before calling the police. Paramedics found Zykova with multiple stab wounds; resuscitation attempts failed, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police arrested the suspect, believed to be her partner, and recovered the knife used in the alleged murder. Reports suggest the suspect may have been experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the incident.