Police arrested two additional suspects on Tuesday morning on suspicion of involvement in a fight that preceded Eldar Dayan's disappearance and death, as part of the investigation being conducted by the Sharon Central Unit in the Central District.
The arrests follow those of two other suspects on Monday night on the same suspicion. All four suspects had previously been questioned at the Petah Tikva police station on suspicion of involvement in the fight.
Following developments in the investigation and its findings, investigators from the Sharon Central Unit arrested them. The four are expected to be brought before a court on Tuesday, where police will request that their detention be extended in accordance with the needs of the investigation.
Two arrested on suspicion of involvement in Dayan's death
Dayan's two friends, Omri Peretz and Maxim Barberman, who were arrested on suspicion of involvement in his death, remain in custody. At this stage, six suspects in total are therefore under arrest as part of the investigation, four on suspicion of involvement in the fight that preceded his death, and two on suspicion of involvement in his death.
As noted, two additional suspects were arrested on Monday night over their alleged involvement in the fight that preceded Dayan's death. The arrests have brought investigators from the Sharon Central Unit back to the moment that, according to one of the main versions being examined in the case, marked the beginning of the entire sequence of events.
Dayan and his friends met in the area between Hod Hasharon and Kfar Saba, where a confrontation developed between them and another group of young people. Peretz and Barberman claim that Dayan was beaten during the fight and that they themselves were also attacked. One of them described it during questioning as, "We hit them and got hit."
Suspects claim they attempted to leave area after fight
According to their account, the three got into a vehicle after the confrontation and tried to leave the area. During their escape, one of Dayan's friends said a member of the other group clung to the windshield of the vehicle. Peretz and Barberman claimed they were convinced they had struck him and even feared they had run him over, leading them to believe that police were already pursuing them.
The three then continued to the area of the Paz gas station at Yarkon Junction, where Peretz said he bought a bottle of water for Dayan. Security camera footage from the location showed all three leaving the store together and heading toward an open area.
The footage is significant for investigators because it shows Dayan alive after the fight and together with Peretz and Barberman. For that reason, suspicion of murder has so far focused on his two friends rather than on the young people who took part in the confrontation that preceded his disappearance.