Police arrest another teen suspect in Independence Day killing,16th suspect detained to date

By Charlie Summers

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2 May 2026, 8:47 pm

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Police have arrested another teenager in the killing of Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, bringing the number of suspects in the case to 16 total.

The suspect, a 16-year-old from the Sharon region, was arrested hours after police nabbed a 17-year-old implicated in the ambush and fatal stabbing.

Zelka, a 21-year-old Pizza Hut employee, was stabbed to death on the night of Independence Day amid an attack by a group of adolescents after he told them not to spray party foam in the restaurant.

After waiting outside for Zelka to finish his late-night shift, the youths ambushed and beat him, with one assailant taking out a knife and stabbing him. He later died of his wounds.

Police say they are continuing to search for more suspects in the killing.