Suspect: Lost Boy, I Only Helped Him

During police interrogation, the suspect admitted to using the child for soliciting donations. He told investigators he employed the 10-year-old to collect charity from passersby on the street, and claimed he wanted to "introduce him to his friends." The boy's mother alleges the suspect presented her son as his own child and used him to raise money from people in the area.

The judge granted the police request for extended detention, though for four days rather than the five requested. She also imposed a gag order on the suspect's identity at this stage. In her ruling, the judge sharply criticized the suspect's actions. She noted that he took the minor to another city without parental consent and gave the 10-year-old a cigarette to smoke during the incident. The judge emphasized the severity of the acts and the need for continued investigation to clarify all details.

The suspect's defense attorney firmly rejected police allegations of abduction and requested the shortest possible detention period. The lawyer argued that the child was not kidnapped at all, but rather had gotten lost on the street, and that her client merely encountered him by chance and attempted to help.

Despite the defense arguments, the court ordered continued detention to allow the investigation to proceed. The incident began when hundreds of Petah Tikva residents joined emergency services in searching for hours for the missing boy, who was eventually found in Bnei Brak together with the suspect.