Rehovot Horror: 80-Year-Old Woman Found Dead, Son in Rooftop Standoff with Police

An 80-year-old woman was found dead in her Rehovot apartment early Thursday morning, with police launching a murder investigation after discovering signs of physical trauma on her body, according to journalist Meir Turgeman. The grim incident has left the community in shock as authorities work to unravel the circumstances of her death.

Magen David Adom (MDA) responded to a distress call about an unconscious woman in a residential building. Paramedic Lihi Golan and emergency medic Avraham Mammo arrived to find the 79-year-old woman lifeless, with no pulse or breathing. “We conducted medical checks, but sadly, we had to confirm her death at the scene,” they told Kikar HaShabbat.

The situation took a dramatic turn when the woman’s son barricaded himself on the building’s rooftop, triggering a tense standoff with police.

A specialized negotiation team is communicating with the man, with authorities wary of a potential repeat of a recent tragedy in Bat Yam. On June 1, 2025, Yelena Galubovsky, 51, was allegedly killed by her husband, Yevgeny, who barricaded himself on a rooftop for nearly nine hours before jumping to his death. Police are proceeding with caution to de-escalate the situation.

The investigation continues as police seek to determine whether this was a targeted act of violence and what role, if any, the son may have played.