Teen arrested for suspected murder in Bnei Brak

Suspect was friend of victim, last person to see him alive according to police.

By BEN HARTMAN
Bnei Brak. [File] (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Bnei Brak. [File]
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The 18-year-old friend of a Bnei Brak teen whose body was found scorched in a drainage ditch in the city on Monday morning was arrested by police on Tuesday, on suspicion of being linked to the youth’s death.
Tel Aviv Police said they still don’t know what led to the young man’s death, but that evidence found at the scene indicates he was not alone when he died. Police initially suspected suicide, but evidence was quickly gathered at the scene that indicated foul play as the most likely possibility.
Tel Aviv Police on Tuesday morning secured a gag order banning the publication of details about the youth’s cause of death until January 5.
The 18-year-old suspect was a friend of the deceased, and police said he the last person to see him alive.
Police are waiting for a court order to allow an autopsy to be performed to determine the cause of death, due to the family’s reluctance to allow the body to be operated on. The victim was 17 years old and had a record for property and violent crimes, officers said.
His family reported him missing on Saturday night, and police set up a command center to search for him. At around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, his body was found in tall grass near the drainage ditch off Hazvi Street.