Man killed in suspected mob hit in Rehovot

A man was killed on Thursday near Rehovot, in what appeared to be a criminal hit job. Police arrested five people overnight Friday on suspicion of involvement with the suspected murder.

Police named the victim as Anton Roman, a 43-year-old resident of Rishon Lezion. He had been under police surveillance for his suspected connection to crime syndicates and had been arrested in the past on criminal charges.

His body was discovered on Thursday night at around 9 p.m. in a field near an industrial zone. He had been shot and there were signs of serious violence having been done to him.

Two of the men arrested were brothers Ofir and Amos Lavi, of Rehovot, heads of a known crime family. Another man arrested was also from Rehovot, while the fourth suspect was from Ofakim and the fifth from Ashkelon. The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Friday ordered the five be remanded for a further week.

Ofir Lavi told Channel 10 news that he was innocent. “What hit?” he said. “It is all bullshit.”

Ofir and Amos Lavi have been arrested several times in the past on suspicion of murder, extortion and other crimes.

Ehud Ben Yehuda, a lawyer representing the five, denied they were involved in the suspected murder.

“They have a solid alibi. They were elsewhere,” he said, “and there are videos” to prove it. “A quick check by police would show that they weren’t where the crime was committed. The victim was a friend of all five of those arrested.”

The lawyer said the suspects were upset by the killing.

“The suspects expressed their regret over the incident, and claimed that they had nothing to do with the case,” he said. “They say that they were nowhere connected to the murder.”