Israel Police are investigating the possibility that a bank worker arrested yesterday for allegedly attempting to rob the bank where she works did so after she was kidnapped and threatened. The suspected kidnapper, 69, was arrested Friday morning and his arrest was extended at the request of the police.
The investigation indicated that the suspect presented himself to the bank worker as a bank investigator, arrived at her home early Thursday, kidnapped her for an "investigation," and detained and investigated her for a number of hours.
The suspect allegedly undressed the woman and took a picture of her while she was naked. He is suspected of then threatening her that if she did not rob the bank he would make the pictures public before strapping a bomb to her. She then allegedly followed his instructions to rob the bank.
Boris Sherman, the public defender representing the suspect, said that "we are talking about an older man with no criminal past, a grandfather to grandchildren who is dealing with a very serious disease. The grandfather denies all accusations. We are expecting the police to finish the investigation as quickly as possible and take his serious medical condition into consideration."
The investigation started when a woman walked into a bank on Thursday, told the staff she was wearing an explosive belt and threatened to blow up the bank if she was not given money.