76-year-old woman murdered in Rehovot

Police suspect victim was killed during apartment robbery.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Rehovot murder 311 (photo credit: Yaakov Lappin)
Rehovot murder 311
(photo credit: Yaakov Lappin)
A 76-year-old woman was murdered in her home in Rehovot in what may have been a violent robbery on Friday evening.
The murder victim, Rachel Schneider, was found dead in her apartment by emergency officials after her son called the police. Magen David Adom paramedics said they found the woman lying on her bed without a pulse.
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Large numbers of police vehicles and officers converged at the scene.
Schneider's son, who works as a security guard, told police he had returned home from a shift and found his mother dead in the apartment. Schneider also had two daughters, who gave statements to police on Friday.
Shortly after the murder, the Central District's Central Unit took charge of the ongoing investigation.
Stunned neighbors gathered around the building's entrance on Rehov Rojinski, where the woman had lived. The murder victim's large white husky dog stood next to the police officers.
"I'm in shock. I didn't hear or see anything," one neighbor said.
Another neighbor, 17-year-old Avia Zemertov, who lives in the same building, said her own home had been targeted by thieves last month. "Someone broke into our home and stole jewelry," Zemertov said. "It's scary. I used to see her [Schneider] every day. She was a very fragile lady, always smiling, always polite," Zemertov added, holding back tears.
"I can't believe this happened. When someone first said there was a murder in our building I thought he was joking," Zemertov added.
Police forensic officers began scouring the apartment and collecting samples, and a mobile forensics unit arrived outside the apartment on Friday evening.