French court indicts driver for hit-and-run in Israel

Eric Roubi faces up to 10 years in prison for 2011 death of Lee Zeitouni. Second suspect expected in court on Thursday

A French court indicted a suspect in the 2011 hit-and-run accident in Israel that resulted in the death of Lee Zeitouni.

Eric Roubi, the suspected driver of the black SUV that struck Zeitouni in Tel Aviv and then drove off, was charged Tuesday with aggravated manslaughter, failure to render assistance and fleeing the scene of an accident.

The maximum penalty for Roubi if convicted is 10 years in prison. He also faces up to a 150,000 euro fine.

Israeli police believe that Roubi and Claude Isaac Khayat were in the car that struck Zeitouni. They are believed to have flown back to France shortly after the incident to avoid standing trial.

Khayat is expected in court on Thursday.

Israel has requested they be extradited, but the request was denied because under French law French citizens may only be extradited to European Union member states.

The two suspects have denied the allegations, but Roee Peled, who was Zeitouni’s boyfriend, has presented an audio recording in which Khayat allegedly admitted to the killing.

“We received rather good news that they will be indicted,” Peled told Army Radio last Thursday. “From the very first day until those two are in prison we have pursued the same path with the same determination and perseverance, even if it was going to take us ten years.”