Two Teens Charged with Arson of Japnika Restaurant After Consulting ChatGPT on Fire Laws

Two 18-year-old residents of Rehovot, Oshar Bayekh and Hanan Yaakov, have been charged with arson for setting fire to a Japnika restaurant branch in Givatayim last month. According to the indictment filed at the Tel Aviv District Court, Bayekh consulted ChatGPT about legal consequences related to arson and prison sentences approximately two weeks before the incident.

The indictment details that the suspects traveled early in the morning from Rehovot to Bnei Brak, where they acquired an electric scooter and three plastic bottles filled with flammable liquid. Wearing hooded sweaters, gloves, and face masks, they proceeded to the restaurant around 4:17 a.m. Yaakov poured the flammable liquid on the restaurant’s doors, windows, entrance area, and nearby plants, then ignited it while Bayekh waited on the scooter. The fire damaged the restaurant’s window, plants, seating area, and canopy, causing approximately 13,500 shekels in damage.

Evidence against the suspects includes security camera footage tracking their movements from Rehovot to Bnei Brak and then to the restaurant, witness testimonies, and mobile phone data showing their communications and locations during the event. The prosecution argues the arson endangered public safety and the employee present inside, though no injuries occurred. Both suspects have exercised their right to silence, with Yaakov denying the charges. Bayekh also faces additional charges of impersonation and obstructing a police officer after attempting to evade arrest.

The prosecution requested to extend the suspects’ detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings, citing the severity of the offense and its connection to a series of violent acts targeting the Japnika restaurant chain. Despite having no prior criminal records, the defendants face serious consequences for their alleged actions.