A 10-year-old boy from Petach Tikva named Yaheli, who went out yesterday afternoon to play with friends and disappeared, was found late last night around 1:00 AM in Bnei Brak while walking with a 19-year-old Arab man from East Jerusalem.
Following the disappearance and posts on social media, an alert ultra-Orthodox woman spotted the boy riding on a scooter with the young man in the area of Kahneman and Jabotinsky streets. Suspicious of the situation, she called police and continued following them to Ezra Street at the corner of HaShomer, where officers arrived and detained the young man for questioning.
According to Yaheli's mother, during the time her son spent with the young man, he was bought pizza, given a necklace, and convinced to try smoking. The Arab youth was subsequently arrested by police on suspicion of kidnapping, and the boy was returned to his family.
This morning, the mother publicly thanked those who assisted in the search and stressed the lesson learned from the incident: "Open the eyes of your children, protect them. I have learned my lesson," she said.
Documentation captured moments of joy in Bnei Brak at the boy's discovery, even as searches were still underway in Petach Tikva.
"During the extensive searches and under the direction of Petah Tikva station officers, Bnei Brak station officers from the Tel Aviv district located the minor together with a Jerusalem resident, approximately 20 years old, in the city of Bnei Brak, and both were brought to the Petah Tikva station," police said.
Station investigators have opened an investigation into the incident to clarify the circumstances of the case. Following his interrogation, the suspect was remanded in custody and will be brought before a court today for a hearing on extending his detention.
