Two Teens Arrested for Arson Attack on Japnika Restaurant in Givatayim

Two 18-year-old youths from Rehovot, Hanan Yaakov and Ofer Bayekh, have been indicted for deliberately setting fire to the Japnika restaurant in Givatayim in the early hours of July 12. According to the indictment filed on Friday at the Tel Aviv District Court, the pair planned the arson overnight, acquiring about 4.5 liters of flammable liquid, gloves, face masks, and ignition tools in Bnei Brak before traveling to Givatayim on an electric scooter.

At around 4:17 a.m., Yaakov, wearing gloves and a face mask to conceal his identity, doused the restaurant’s entrance, windows, and surrounding plants with the flammable liquid and ignited it, causing a fire that damaged the property but resulted in no injuries. Bayekh waited nearby on the scooter, and the two fled the scene together. The damage was estimated at approximately 13,500 shekels.

The prosecution’s case is supported by extensive evidence including security camera footage tracking their movements from Rehovot to Bnei Brak and then to Givatayim, witness testimonies from drivers who transported them, and mobile phone data showing their communications, location, and searches. Notably, Bayekh used ChatGPT before the arson to inquire about the legal consequences of burning a store and the severity of potential sentences.

During interrogation, Yaakov questioned investigators, asking why no one else had been arrested if they knew everything, while both suspects exercised their right to silence. Bayekh was arrested nearly a month later on August 5 after a foot chase in Rehovot, during which he falsely identified himself and attempted to evade police. He now faces additional charges of impersonation and obstructing a police officer.

The prosecution has requested that both suspects remain in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings, emphasizing the premeditated nature of the violent crime and the danger it posed to the public, especially since the restaurant was lit and staffed at the time of the arson.