Suspect in Yahli Sofer Abduction Suspected of Harming Other Minors
Israeli police suspect that the 20-year-old Jerusalem resident accused of abducting 10-year-old Yahli Sofer has harmed other minors across the country. A Petah Tikva court extended his detention until Thursday.
The suspect in the abduction of 10-year-old Yahli Sofer is suspected of harming additional minors, both boys and girls. During a hearing to extend his detention at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court, a police representative stated that investigators are actively examining suspicions of offenses against other children.
The police representative declared in court:
"We have received information regarding minors, both boys and girls, in various locations across the country, and we are currently investigating this."
The suspect's defense attorney, Frida Wall, argued that her client has an intellectual disability and requested his release to an alternative detention framework or a reduction in the requested days of custody. However, Judge Gil Gabai ruled that there is reasonable suspicion against the suspect and extended his detention until Thursday.
The 20-year-old suspect from Jerusalem allegedly abducted 10-year-old Yahli Sofer last week, taking him from Petah Tikva to Bnei Brak. Following hours of intense anxiety, the suspect and the child were located late at night on the streets of Bnei Brak. During his interrogation, the suspect denied the abduction charges, claiming he merely encountered the boy after he had lost his way and was accompanying him home.
