‘Old-School’ Burglars Caught Red-Handed in Tiberias Shop Break-In
Two veteran suspects from northern Israel, Simon Sussan, 55, and Yitzhak Haver, 62, were caught in the act on May 16 after breaking into a liquor and tobacco shop in Tiberias. Police say the pair, nicknamed by officers as the “old burglars,” used an improvised tactic to avoid the cameras by wrapping their heads in white sheets, then pried open a rear window vent and crawled inside.
According to the indictment filed in Tiberias Magistrate’s Court by Inspector Attorney Nechama Kasher of the Northern District police prosecution unit, the men arrived at about 5:36 p.m. on Yohanan Ben Zakai Street, covered their faces and hands, and entered from the back. Haver first slipped in and searched the store, then helped Sussan enter as well. Sussan loaded packs of cigarettes into a bag, opened the cash register, and took cash, passing some of the loot back through the window.
The burglary fell apart when the store’s security cameras were connected directly to a monitoring center, which immediately alerted police. A young patrol officer, Staff Sgt. Wassim Kbalan, arrived with another officer, heard noises from inside, found the store locked, and moved to the dirt lot behind it. There he caught an older suspect at a small window, detained him, and then saw the second suspect flee into a back room, which turned out to be the toilet. Sussan allegedly hid banknotes in the toilet cistern before both men were arrested. Kbalan said they were “almost my grandfather’s age” and did not try to resist or run.
The two are charged with burglary, theft, property damage, conspiracy to commit a felony, and obstruction of justice. Both have long criminal records for property and violent offenses. Police in Tiberias said Sussan has been known to them for years, while Haver is also a repeat offender from the center of the country. Defense attorneys said both men have difficult life stories and need treatment rather than prison, noting that Sussan was supposed to enter rehabilitation just hours after the break-in and that Haver denies the allegations.
