Three Arrested in Ashdod Building Arson Linked to TikTok Dispute
Three suspects have been arrested over an arson attack at an Ashdod building lobby following a dispute with a social media influencer who posted a TikTok video reciting Kaddish for a living person.
A resident of Dimona and two men have been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a building lobby on Kibbutz Galuyot Street in Ashdod, causing property damage. According to investigators, the arson stemmed from a dispute with a social media influencer who published a TikTok video reciting the mourner's Kaddish for a living person.
During the remand hearing at the Magistrate's Court in Ashkelon, the suspect's defense attorney argued that the complainant frequently recites Kaddish for living individuals and that her client had criticized him over the online videos, but denied any involvement in the arson attack. The conflict reportedly began last week, and several days after the video was posted, the three suspects allegedly arrived at the Ashdod building late at night, smashed the lobby windows, set the premises on fire, and fled the scene.
Officers from the Ashdod police station gathered forensic evidence from the site and, with the assistance of police from the Segev Shalom and Ofakim stations, tracked down and arrested the three suspects. A search of one of their vehicles uncovered weapons and a substance suspected to be crystal meth. According to law enforcement, investigators have obtained apparent incriminating evidence against the primary female suspect.
The Ashkelon Magistrate's Court extended the woman's detention by four days. A further court hearing is scheduled today to review the continued detention of the female suspect and the two other individuals involved.
