Arson at Japanika restaurant in Givatayim: suspects arrested
A month after the arson attack in central Israel, police have arrested two 18-year-old residents of Rehovot. Security footage shows a masked suspect pouring flammable liquid at the restaurant entrance before fleeing with an accomplice on an electric scooter.
Security cameras documented the arson at the Japanika restaurant branch in Givatayim. The footage shows a masked suspect approaching the restaurant facade while holding a bottle of flammable liquid.
He pours the liquid over the entrance, throws the bottle into nearby bushes, ignites the fire, and flees toward an accomplice waiting on an electric scooter.
The incident occurred about a month ago, late at night. The arson caused damage to the restaurant's structure and property, but no injuries were reported.
The investigation revealed that the attack was part of an ongoing wave of violence between criminal organizations. This case is linked to a separate incident involving a grenade thrown at another Japanika branch in Kiryat Ono, for which an indictment is expected to be filed shortly.
Investigators from the Tel Aviv District Central Unit managed to track down and identify the perpetrators despite their attempts to cover their tracks.
On July 27, the first suspect, an 18-year-old from Rehovot, was arrested, followed by the arrest of a second 18-year-old from the same city a few days later. Searches of their homes yielded evidence and clothing linking them to the crime.
Following multiple extensions of their detention by the courts, the investigation concluded yesterday, and prosecutors have filed statements of intent to charge the suspects in the coming days.
