Suspect held for stealing mementos from family of two fallen soldiers

Police yet to recover personal items and jewelry stolen from home of Miriam Peretz

By Stuart Winer

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5 July 2012, 7:30 pm Edit

Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.

Miriam Peretz, mother of two fallen Israeli soldiers, shakes hands with outgoing Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi during a farewell event in Tel Aviv, in 2011. In 2012 a burglar stole mementos of her sons from the Peretz home in Jerusalem. (photo by Michael Shvadron/IDF Spokesperson/Flash90)

Police apprehended a Palestinian man on suspicion that he stole personal mementos and jewelry from a woman who lost two of her sons during their military service in the IDF.

On Thursday police arrested a 30-year-old resident of Kfar Bido in connection with a burglary three months ago in the nearby Givat Zeev neighborhood of Jerusalem. An intruder broke into the home of Miriam Peretz, who lost two her sons, Zev and Eliraz, in separate incidents during their service in the IDF, and stole money, jewelry, and mementos of her deceased sons.

Zev Peretz died during a 1998 firefight in Lebanon and his younger Major Eliaz Peretz was killed in 2010 pursuing a terrorist force in Gaza.

The accused man denied the allegation and police did not recover the stolen items, which they said may have been sold. Officers said they were confident they have caught the culprit and suspect the man may also be behind other burglaries.