Suspected accomplice in Rishon Lezion double homicide arrested
Police investigating if man helped plan couple’s murder last week; primary suspect was shot dead after refusing to surrender
Police on Sunday arrested a man they suspect assisted a man in a double homicide of his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend last week before leading police on a three-day manhunt.
Police are investigating if Igor Rivkin merely knew about Ian Gavrielov’s intentions to carry out the killings, or also aided him in planning the killings and hiding out afterward.
Rivkin, a resident of Beersheba, admitted to having been contacted by Gavrielov but denied helping the suspect escape.
Gavrielov, suspected of shooting to death his ex-girlfriend, 29-year-old Anastasia Rusanov, a mother of two, and 34-year-old Eliezer Kandinov, a father of three, in Rishon Lezion Wednesday, was shot dead by police in Lod on Saturday after he pulled a gun on officers chasing him.
A court ordered that Rifkin remain in custody until Wednesday. He has a criminal record, having been convicted of possession of illegal drugs in 2012, according to reports.
Gavrielov was killed after a three-day manhunt led police to his location in Lod as he fled in a rented car.
According to police, Gavrielov began driving wildly after spotting cops on his tail and presented a threat to other drivers and pedestrians.
After he refused calls to pull over, officers suspected he was armed and called for reinforcements.
After calling again for him to stop, police fired at Gavrielov, killing him. In a search of the car after the incident, police said they found a loaded gun which they believe to be the murder weapon.
Kandinov’s sister, Natalie Shalom, told Ynet on Saturday that the news of the suspect’s death came as a great relief to the family.
Yet, she said, “I wouldn’t have wanted him to be killed in this way. He should have faced punishment. He was killed in an instant and my brother was taken from us for nothing because of him.”
Still, she added, “I am calmer now after not sleeping for a few days because we were scared he would hurt us [too].”
According to reports in the Hebrew press, Rusanov had in the past complained that Gavrielov had been violent and had continued to harass her after their breakup a few months earlier.
According to Channel 2 news, Rusanov went to police three months ago to complain that her ex-boyfriend had threatened her.
הנרצחים ברצח הכפול בראשל"צ: אנסטסיה רוסנוב ואליעזר קנדינובhttps://t.co/zVR1CH54bh pic.twitter.com/1bpbsCstAu
— מעריב אונליין (@MaarivOnline) May 25, 2016
The victims, who were apparently dating, were found in Rusanov’s apartment on Pika Street in Rishon Lezion, a city of some 200,000 south of Tel Aviv, by Rusanov’s mother.
Rusanov was found with gunshot wounds all over her body while Kandinov was found shot in the head.
