3 Tayibe residents accused of cutting off man's ear over NIS 200 theft

A man who was staying in a cafe in Tayibe was attacked by three residents of the city in their 30s who claimed that they suspected him of stealing money from them.

Police vehicles (photo credit: SHLOMI GABAI)
Police vehicles
(photo credit: SHLOMI GABAI)

A prosecutor's statement was submitted on Thursday in preparation for an indictment against three Tayibe residents for cutting off a man's ear on the grounds that he stole 200 shekels from them. The detention of the three suspects was extended until the statement was submitted earlier today.

The detectives of the police station in Tayibe began an investigation about two weeks ago after receiving a report about a man who was attacked near a cafe in the city, as the owner of the place and his friends suspected him of taking a NIS 200 bill for himself that he found on one of the tables there.

A short time later, the three suspects were arrested.

According to the findings of the investigation, the three men, between ages 29-37, grabbed the person they suspected of stealing, forced him back into the cafe and threatened at gunpoint, saying that if he didn't return the money they would cut off his ear.

After he continued to deny that he stole the money, the men cut off his ear with scissors.

Center of Tayibe (credit: HIRAA MASARVA/CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Center of Tayibe (credit: HIRAA MASARVA/CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Previous incident in Tayibe

About two months ago, two Tayibe residents were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of a resident of the Palestinian territories from an ambulance in the city at gunpoint. During the incident, the abductee was slightly wounded in the leg by a gunshot. Together with another person, who was arrested immediately after the incident, the two suspects blocked the road, got out of the vehicle and kidnapped the injured person from the ambulance.

The investigation of the incident revealed that the abduction was carried out amid a conflict between families.