Man who allegedly stabbed ex-girlfriend to death apprehended after 2-day manhunt

49-year-old Avner Barak, who allegedly murdered Nava Chen in Tel Mond, found hiding in abandoned building.

By BEN HARTMAN
police car 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
police car 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Two days after he allegedly stabbed his exgirlfriend to death in Tel Mond, Avner Barak was found hiding in an abandoned building in Ashkelon, Sharon subdistrict police said on Thursday.
A day earlier police had released the 49-year-old’s physical description to the press, asking for the public’s help in finding him. The move was slightly unusual in that typically they refrain from officially releasing details of suspects before they are arrested. At the time, a nationwide manhunt was already underway for Barak, but no trace had yet been found of him.
During the manhunt, one of victim Nava Chen’s daughters posted a non-pixilated photo of Barak to Facebook with the caption, “This is the man who murdered my mom in cold blood!! They still haven’t found him....please, if anyone hears or sees [him] call the police!” On Thursday morning, police finally managed to arrest him, after a car he had fled from on Tuesday was spotted outside an abandoned building on Saadya Hagaon Street in Ashkelon.
Police said Barak is cooperating with investigators, and that on Friday he will be brought for a remand extension at the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court.
On Tuesday police confirmed that in October, Chen complained to police on two separate occasions, and although they followed up the complaints, Barak continued to harass her.