13-year-old charged for stabbing and seriously injuring a minibus driver in Netanya

State prosecutors file charges today against a 13-year-old who stabbed and seriously injured a minibus driver in Netanya two weeks ago.

The 70-year-old driver is currently sedated and intubated at Laniado Hospital as a result of his injuries. He is still in serious danger of losing his life, prosecutors say.

The stabbing took place on October 28, after a group of teenagers boarded a bus belonging to the Extra company. They soon began to make noise, bang on the driver’s cabin door, and disturb him as he worked his line.

The noise became too much to handle for the driver, so he stopped at a bus station and asked the youths to exit the vehicle. All the teenagers, aside from the defendant, disembarked, but continued to shake and bang on the vehicle from the outside.

With the 13-year-old still on board, the driver quickly left the stop and continued on his route.

Later, just as the defendant was about to get off at his stop, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the driver five times. He disposed of the knife near a trash can at the bus stop, prosecutors write.

The minor, whose name remains barred for publication, is charged with aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. He is indicted in the Central District Court.