Man arrested over Petah Tikva murder

Police: 21-year-old claims he stabbed events hall owner in self-defense.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Aviv Ben-Bassat (photo credit: Channel 2)
Aviv Ben-Bassat
(photo credit: Channel 2)
Police have named 21-year-old man as a central murder suspect in the slaying of events hall owner Roee Bring in Petah Tikva last week. Bring, a 35-year-old father of two young children, was stabbed to death as he tried to separate two groups of wedding guests who were involved in a fight.
Petah Tikva resident Aviv Ben-Bassat, who was a guest at a wedding held in Bring's hall, confessed to stabbing the hall owner to death, police said.
"Bassat said he felt threatened due to his thin frame, and wanted to protect himself, despite not being a party to the fight," police said. "He took a kitchen knife which he had kept hidden in his position during the brawl and stabbed the victim, whom he did not know, because he thought the victim wanted to attack him," police added.
The investigation was led by the Police Central District's Central Unit.
"Following his interrogation, the suspect carried out a detailed reenactment, and his clothes have been found to be stained with the blood of the victim," police said.
Bassat, who is single, has no former criminal record. He works for the YES satellite television company as a technician.
The stabbing took place shortly before 1 a.m. on January 28, when Bringattempted to separate between two groups of wedding guests who hadbecome involved in a fight in the wedding hall, and then met at aparking lot outside the hall to continue the confrontation.
Bring was evacuated to the the city's Beilinson Medical Center in mortal condition, and died of his injuries shortly afterwards.
Police recovered a blood-stained knife thrown on to a dirt road nearthe hall, and arrested six suspects in their homes following themurder, including Bassat, but did not name their chief suspect untilWednesday.