Rishon LeZion Man Indicted for Aggravated Battery Following Café Stabbing
The Central District Prosecutor's Office indicted a 28-year-old Rishon LeZion resident for aggravated battery and knife possession following a violent café brawl that left a man hospitalized with two stab wounds.
A brief dispute outside a café in Rishon LeZion escalated into a violent altercation, resulting in two stab wounds and a five-day hospitalization. On Thursday, the Central District Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment at the Lod District Court against Naor Panker, 28, charging him with aggravated severe battery and knife possession.
According to the indictment, Panker arrived at the café about two weeks ago carrying a sharp object. After placing his order, he waited outside. Approximately five minutes later, the 28-year-old victim arrived, and the two briefly spoke. As the victim turned, Panker closed the distance, prompting the victim to punch him in the face.
Panker then drew the sharp object, and after another exchange of blows, grabbed the victim's shirt and stabbed him twice—in the left flank and the left anterior chest—before fleeing. Police located Panker later that evening at a Paz gas station near the Beit Kama junction, armed with a 7-centimeter folding knife.
Prosecutors have requested to remand Panker until the conclusion of legal proceedings. During questioning, he admitted knowing the victim but claimed he was at his grandfather's house during the incident and denied any involvement.
