Netanya mayor to hit-and-run suspect: Surrender

City gave Baraby plot of land in 2005 to open fruit kiosk, which he illegally expanded, has possible crime family ties.

By BEN HARTMAN
Police car in Tel Aviv at night 311 (photo credit: Yoni Cohen)
Police car in Tel Aviv at night 311
(photo credit: Yoni Cohen)
The mayor of Netanya on Sunday called on the suspect in a hit and run that left three women dead Friday night to turn himself in as soon as possible.
During an interview with Army Radio on Sunday, Mayor Miriam Feirberg addressed 35- year-old Shushan Baraby – who is suspected of being responsible for the accident – directly, saying “in spite of all of your problematic behavior, you have a good heart. You didn’t mean to hurt those women or kill them.
“I think that you know that you did something terrible and you will have a rough time dealing with the fact that you killed three women,” Feirberg said. “As long as you continue what you are doing, you make your situation more severe.”
She told Army Radio, “You must make a distinction between his past and this tragic incident. I imagine he is sitting and crying right now.”
Feirberg and Baraby, a Netanya resident who has served five prison terms and has a long rap sheet of violent offenses, have a history together.
Netanya City Hall confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that in 2005, Baraby was given a plot of land to open a watermelon kiosk “in order to help his rehabilitation” and pull him away from his life of crime.
Baraby’s watermelon kiosk grew illegally, spreading onto more property as it became a shish kebab restaurant, convenience store and lottery stand named “Almogim.” All the while, he operated his business without a permit, at a site about 200 meters from the scene of Friday’s accident.
The city hall said on Sunday that “in order to assist former convict Shushan Baraby’s rehabilitation, the city gave him a small piece of land in 2005 to build a kiosk where he could sell watermelons. To our dismay, he violated the permits given to him and therefore legal steps are being taken against him.”
It added that he had submitted a request for a business permit a few months ago that has not been approved. The municipality denied reports Baraby received the plot of land after threatening Feirberg’s life, saying “the mayor did not know of any threat made against her and certainly did not hear of any such threat.”
On Sunday, the hunt continued for Baraby, who police said was seen fleeing the scene of the accident on foot. Police said they had not determined if Baraby was driving on Friday night or if a second man, 26- year-old Yochai Glicksman – who turned himself in shortly after the accident – was at the wheel of the car, an Audi sedan that belonged to Baraby.
Police added on Saturday night that Glicksman was not intoxicated when he turned himself in.
On Saturday, Glicksman’s wife told reporters her husband was at home in bed when the accident took place.
His attorney said her client did at first confess to driving the car, before changing his story.
President Shimon Peres related to the accident on Sunday, saying “we are all going through a terrible period of time of violence in Israel,” and mentioned in particular “the accident the night before last in which three women were murdered in a hit and run [accident].”
Killed in the hit-and-run were Svetlana Yigudiyev, 56, and her daughter Shoshana, 25, both from Dimona, and Svetlana’s cousin Alexandra Rubinov, 67, from Netanya.
They were scheduled to be buried on Sunday.
The three women were on a crosswalk on Ben-Tzvi Boulevard at 8 p.m. on Friday when Baraby’s vehicle hit them, police said. The car was reportedly traveling well over the speed limit.
Though Netanya police would not comment, it has been widely reported since Friday that he has a long criminal record, including several violent offenses.
He is also reportedly a member or associate of the Netanya-based Abutbul crime family.
In 2010, Baraby was charged with reckless driving after he blew past a police roadblock on Highway 5 while traveling at more than 180 kph.
Police did not say if they fear Baraby may try to flee the country, though he faces an extended prison term if caught and convicted.