Father arrested after allegedly stabbing, killing 14-year-old son
Police catch suspect after brief manhunt in southern city of Kiryat Gat, boy taken to Barzilai hospital in critical condition but dies of his wounds
A man was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of stabbing and killing his 14-year-old son in the southern city of Kiryat Gat, police said.
Magen David Adom medics who arrived at the family home found the boy in a critical condition and took him to the Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon, while trying to resuscitate him. However, he later died of his wounds.
The boy’s mother told police that the father, 37, had stabbed him and fled the home. After a brief manhunt, officers found and arrested the man in a nearby wooded area, police said.
He has since maintained silence and refused to cooperate with investigators.
According to the Ynet website, the mother told police that the father “had a psychotic attack,” picked up a knife and stabbed the boy without any reason.
Police are looking into whether the suspect had received psychiatric treatment in the past, the Walla news site reported, adding that his wife insisted that he had never acted out violently against their son before.
Neighbors told Hebrew media that the Haredi family had moved to Kiryat Gat a year and a half ago and never showed behavior that was out of the ordinary.
“They built a beautiful house here. I saw that he invests in his children. The little ones are constantly outside playing together. I just don’t know what happened,” a neighbor said.
Local social services workers were at the scene trying to assist the mother and several other children.
Magen David Adom medics called the incident “very difficult,” and said they found the boy lying unconscious, without a pulse and with several wounds to the body.
