The Tel Aviv District Court has received an indictment against a 36-year-old Ramat Gan resident for two robberies, the first of which involved a bizarre scene where the knife-wielding suspect stole 1,000 shekels ($282) from a Tel Aviv convenience store before oddly leaving a 20 shekel ($5.64) bill on the counter, stating, "Take it, it's not personal." The suspect was arrested on the same day after a second robbery in Ramat Gan, and prosecutors are now arguing for his continued detention given his previous convictions for violence and weapon offenses.
According to the indictment submitted Thursday to the Tel Aviv District Court, a 36-year-old Ramat Gan resident perpetrated two robberies approximately three weeks ago. The first incident took place at 6:06 a.m. at a convenience store on Derech Hashalom in Tel Aviv. As per the indictment, the defendant arrived at the location wearing a helmet and clutching a knife, approached the store employee who was standing by the register, and threatened him with the knife while demanding, "Open the register."
The employee, feeling threatened, opened the register, and the defendant took at least 1,000 shekels ($282) from it. Before fleeing, the defendant left a 20 shekel ($5.64) bill and told the employee, "Take it, it's not personal." Only six hours later, the defendant carried out a second robbery – this time at a kiosk on Uzi'el Street in Ramat Gan. The indictment details that the defendant arrived on his motorcycle, again wearing a helmet but this time holding a knife about 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) long. He entered the store, threatened the employee with the knife, and compelled him toward the register while issuing threats. The defendant opened the register himself and took about 700 shekels ($197) from it. When the employee attempted to restrain him, the defendant successfully escaped on his motorcycle.
The defendant was arrested the same day, and his remand has been extended numerous times since then. This occurred following the identification of the motorcycle's license plate and the recovery of the knife used by the defendant to execute the robbery – which was found protruding from his motorcycle seat. Furthermore, the clothes and helmet he wore during the robberies, along with 320 shekels ($90.24) in cash, were seized at his home. In his police interrogations, the defendant primarily chose to invoke his right to remain silent. Regarding the knife discovered on the motorcycle, he claimed that the police officers had planted it there, and he denied that the seized clothes were his.
The prosecution requested that the defendant remain in custody until the conclusion of proceedings, arguing that "such acts, which erode the public's sense of security, constitute a violation of property and carry the potential for physical harm to innocent individuals working for their livelihood". It was also noted that the defendant has four prior convictions for offenses involving violence, weapons, and drugs from the years 2006–2017, having served actual prison time for some of them.
