Palestinian thief held for luring tourist with gay sex

Briton left naked and stranded at a busy intersection near Tira.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
A Palestinian resident of the West Bank was arrested last week for allegedly luring a British tourist into a robbery with offers of gay sex, and then leaving him naked and stranded at a busy intersection.
Police say the alleged attack took place on April 4, when the Briton, a resident of London, became acquainted with the suspect on Tel Aviv’s beach promenade. The tourist was driving a family-owned Volkswagen Golf vehicle, and was convinced by the suspect to drive to the Israeli Arab village of Tira so that the suspect could “pick up money from a friend,” Insp. Doron Ahrak, of the Taibe police station, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. 
The car containing the two men pulled up under a bridge at an intersection near Tira, and the two men began engaging in sexual acts, before the suspect suddenly ejected the Briton from the vehicle and threatened him, police said.
The suspect then drove away with the Briton’s car, belongings and all of his clothes. The victim had to walk to a nearby gas station naked, where he asked staff to contact police.
Officers from Taibe station quickly arrived on the scene, and soon located a vehicle matching the tourist’s description.
“We pursued the car, and identified the suspect,” Ahrak said. “The suspect eventually chose to abandon the vehicle, and managed escape on foot.”
The car was filled with bottles containing alcoholic beverages, and police forensic officers took DNA and fingerprint samples.
“Basedon the samples, we identified the suspect, a resident of a village onthe outskirts of Nablus, who has a history of robberies,” Ahrak said.
Thispast Wednesday evening, Ariel and Taibe police launched a jointoperation to arrest the suspect. His custody was extended by five days,and he is due to appear again before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court onMonday, Ahrak said.The victim returned to Britain right after the attack.