Drug addict posing as postman arrested in senior's stabbing

Drug addict posing as po

By BEN HARTMAN
Police on Sunday announced the arrest of a suspect in the brutal stabbing of an elderly man in Rishon Lezion last week. The suspect, a local drug addict with a long history of arrests, arrived at the Rishon Lezion police station last Wednesday and said he was responsible for the stabbing of a senior citizen in his apartment in the city the day before. The case was placed under a gag order last Tuesday, as police investigated whether the stabbing was the result of some sort of personal vendetta against the victim. Suspicions were raised after the victim's caretaker said she heard the stabber screaming, "You hurt my father, I'll hurt you!" Police have since determined the crime was a simple case of a robbery gone bad. The suspect, 32, told officers that he only planned to rob the 87-year-old victim, but that when the man began to struggle with him, he stabbed him in the throat and chest, leaving him in critical condition before fleeing the scene. The victim has since made a full recovery in hospital. Police say the suspect told them he heard that the victim kept a large amount of cash in his house. On the day of the stabbing, the suspect went to the victim's house posing as a postman and rang the intercom, telling the victim he had a package for him and requesting he come down to sign it. The suspect then allegedly forced the victim back up to his apartment in an effort to get him to open the door and show him where the money was hidden. As they approached the door, a struggle ensued and the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim in his neck and chest before fleeing. The suspect will be brought before a Rishon Lezion court on Monday, where police will seek an extension of his remand. While a Rishon Lezion police spokeswoman told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that she hadn't heard of many cases of people posing as mailmen or couriers to gain entry into an apartment, it was important to be aware of such methods and to be cautious when open one's door.