A former undercover police agent was identified on Tuesday as the murderer of two old age pensioners in Kiryat Atta at the end of January and the beginning of February.
Northern police also suspect Roni Peretz, 40, of carrying out two robberies in the area, with first one being in September and the second in January.
He was arrested two weeks ago, but there had been a gag order on the case until Tuesday morning. Deputy Commander Kobi Bachar, the head of Zevulun police station, said investigators first suspected him after analyzing fingerprint and DNA evidence at the scene of the death of Yelena Naumivikin, the second of the two murder victims.
This killing came three days after that of Frieda Viezel and several days after the robbery of Yitzhak Heinrich. In all three instances, Peretz dressed up as a postman and entered the homes of the OAPs, where he attacked and robbed them. Peretz told police he hadn't intended to kill Viezel and Naumivikin, who he strangled and beat to death, said Bachar.
"He said that in the second two cases he lost control…He came to rob them, but with us it makes no difference," Bachar said.
"We believe that if we hadn't found the suspect quickly there would have been more murders," he added.
Peretz, who worked as an agent for Southern police, had a record of drugs, violence and robbery, and had been in prison a few years ago, said Bachar.
The suspect will be brought to court on Wednesday morning, when prosecutors will request to extend his custody for another two weeks, said Bachar, adding that he expects Peretz to be charged in the next week or so.
