End to the nightmare in Tel Aviv: The man who harassed women and children has been indicted
After more than a year of complaints about harassment, assaults, and indecent acts, a serious indictment was filed against a 51-year-old man who terrorized the residents of the Shapira neighborhood in Tel Aviv. According to the indictment, he used to expose himself in public, threatened an elderly woman he tried to extort, and even grabbed a four-year-old child firmly. Although he was removed from the neighborhood by a court order, the defendant violated the order and returned to the place within a few days.
After more than a year in which the residents of the Shapira neighborhood in Tel Aviv lived in constant fear, a serious indictment was filed against a 51-year-old homeless man. The indictment includes eight counts of violence, threats, indecent acts, and violation of a legal order, reflecting a difficult series of events that lasted from April 2025 to July 2026. Local residents, who suffered from repeated harassment, now hope that the arrest will put an end to the prolonged period of insecurity and uncertainty.
According to the indictment, the defendant, who previously lived on Israel Salant Street in the neighborhood and later became homeless, continued to frequent the area even after leaving his apartment. During this period, it is alleged that he committed a long series of offenses against residents and passersby. On several occasions, he stood naked at the entrance to a residential building and relieved himself there. In one incident, he even approached a woman while holding a lit cigarette, tried to press it against her arm, and cursed at her after she fled the scene.
The most serious part of the indictment refers to a series of sex offenses allegedly committed in the public sphere. It is claimed that in one case, the defendant lowered his pants and underwear and advanced toward a woman and three small children, aged four and five, while performing an indecent act himself. After the woman shouted at him, he moved away, but soon returned and tried to repeat the act, and later even did so at a nearby bus stop. In another case, he exposed himself near a family club, and in another incident, he lifted his shirt and demanded that a passerby pet him.
Threats to an elderly woman and assault of a minor
The charges also detail cases of violence and serious threats against vulnerable populations. Last June, the defendant approached an 89-year-old elderly woman and demanded money and food from her. When she refused, he threatened her, saying:
"If you don't bring it, I will take out your eye,"
while bringing his finger close to her face, until her screams alerted passersby to the scene. In another incident, it is alleged that he grabbed the shoulder of a four-and-a-half-year-old child firmly and prevented him from moving forward, because the child's grandfather refused to give him money for cigarettes.
Violation of the restraining order and ongoing danger
According to the prosecution, the defendant's danger is also expressed in his disregard for judicial decisions. On July 17, the court ordered the defendant to be removed from Israel Salant Street for 30 days, but he returned to the place only four days later and violated the release conditions set for him.
In the request for detention until the end of proceedings, the state emphasized that this is a recurring and uninhibited pattern of behavior, which is not a one-time event, but a continuous series of actions including harm to the public space and the performance of offensive sexual behavior in front of young children. The prosecution noted that the immediate violation of the restraining order shows that release conditions and alternatives to detention cannot set an effective boundary for the defendant.
