Soccer player's friend confesses to murder

Congo native Eritsia Akalsongo reenacts murder of 20-year-old Netanya woman Zehava Chikol for police detectives.

By BEN HARTMAN
Ambulance at site of woman's death in Netanya 370 (photo credit: A. Yaakov/News 24 )
Ambulance at site of woman's death in Netanya 370
(photo credit: A. Yaakov/News 24 )
One of two suspects in the murder of a Netanya woman found outside a local hotel last week confessed and reenacted the crime for detectives on Tuesday, Sharon subdistrict police said.
The suspect, Congo native Eritsia Akalsongo, is a friend and the roommate of a foreign player for Maccabi Netanya FC, whose name has been banned from publication.
The two men are both in jail on suspicion of strangling 20-year-old Zehava Chikol, and throwing her body out an eighth story window of the city’s Carmel Hotel.
Both men were arrested last Wednesday night, and during their questioning, denied the charges, and later began to implicate one another, according to investigators.
As of Tuesday night, the soccer player has not confessed to the killing, and police said they are still investigating his involvement in the murder.
Police said that the first man’s confession is leading them to believe the motive was a dispute over money.
Both men will be brought to court for their second time on Wednesday afternoon, where police will seek an additional extension of their remand.
Initially, a judge ruled that the soccer player be released on house arrest so that he could play in a Saturday night game. The decision sparked a public outcry, and following an appeal by police the player’s remand was extended.