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Sixth suspect arrested in violent February assault on Argentina’s chief rabbi
Security Ministry says 2 guns, police badge confiscated in raid linked to attack that seriously injured Gabriel Davidovich; no word on possible anti-Semitic motive
A sixth suspect was arrested Thursday for the February assault on the chief rabbi of Argentina, Gabriel Davidovich, in Buenos Aires, the Clarin daily reported.
The Security Ministry said that two guns and a Buenos Aires police badge were confiscated. Argentina’s federal police made the arrest at a home in the Villa Riachuelo neighborhood in Buenos Aires.
The suspect, 53, had in his possession a Beretta 9mm caliber with the magazine and 15 cartridges, and a .22 caliber revolver, both of which were taken by the officers. Also, during the raid, a police credential was found, which had been reported stolen.
In April, Argentinian media reported that suspects detained for the attack included “Coco,” identified as the head of a local gang that committed multiple home invasions in Buenos Aires in recent months.
Police raided Coco’s home early Monday morning after a months-long investigation that included extensive searches through security camera footage, and analysis of fingerprints left at the scene, the report said.
During the arrest raid, police found large amounts of cash along with items stolen from Rabbi Gabriel Davidovich’s home, including jewelry and a ceremonial pen from Jerusalem. A raid on another suspect’s home unearthed more cash, a satellite tracking system, ropes, ladders and other tools.
Davidovich was beaten and seriously injured by a group of up to seven assailants who broke into his Buenos Aires home in the middle of the night. The attackers then stole some 200,000 Argentine pesos (roughly $5,000) in cash, as well as valuable jewelry and a Haredi-style black hat.
Davidovich was hospitalized with serious injuries, including nine broken ribs and a punctured lung. The intruders reportedly shouted: “We know you are the rabbi of the Jewish community” during the attack.
Police said the attack was well-planned and the attackers knew the identity of the residents living there.
It is still unclear if police are investigating the case as a hate crime, or viewed it as a standard home invasion and assault investigation.
Officials in the Argentine Jewish community have argued that the assailants specifically targeted the rabbi, and would not have beaten him so badly if that wasn’t their original intent.
Israeli leaders condemned the attack, linking the “vicious” assault to the recent wave of anti-Semitic incidents in the West.
