DNA on a Coca-Cola Cup Links Two Men to Tel Aviv Shooting, Indictment Says
Israeli prosecutors filed an indictment on Sunday in Tel Aviv District Court against Elik Ben Vadim, also known as Oleg Kovaliov, from Tel Aviv, and Picado Gibtu from Or Yehuda, accusing them of aggravated assault, illegal possession and transport of a weapon, and firing a gun in a residential area. The State Attorney’s Office also asked that both be held until the end of the proceedings.
According to the indictment, submitted by attorney Amit Ginat of the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor’s Office, the two conspired at an unknown date before May 20, 2026, to shoot the complainant and cause him serious harm. They allegedly equipped themselves with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and matching ammunition. Around 3:30 a.m. on May 20, they arrived in a Mini Cooper on Kriel Gardosh Street in Tel Aviv, with Ben Vadim driving and Gibtu in the passenger seat, and waited for the victim.
Minutes later, the complainant arrived in a black BMW with two passengers in the back seat. The Mini Cooper blocked his path and forced him to stop. Prosecutors say Gibtu got out with the gun, fired several shots at close range at the BMW, and Ben Vadim exited and ran toward the victim’s car. The complainant tried to reverse away, but struck a pole and a tree. The car was hit by three bullets, one near the right front wheel and two on the left side near the door pillar. Afterward, the suspects fled, and the complainant chased them while holding a club.
At about 5:10 a.m., the two allegedly arrived in the same Mini Cooper at the Sea of Galilee Stai Hotel, where detectives disguised as cleaning staff and using a mobility scooter arrested them. The arrest request says security cameras tracked the Mini Cooper to the scene and then toward the hotel, and investigators collected police statements, forensic and weapons-lab reports, and a finding of five gunshot residues in the Mini Cooper, three in the front and two in the back, plus residue on pants found in the car. A Coca-Cola cup in the car reportedly yielded DNA matching Ben Vadim, and the pants matched Gibtu’s clothing during the incident. Prosecutors also said 9 mm casings were found at the scene, and both men have extensive criminal records and remained silent in questioning.
