A violent confrontation recorded by security cameras led to an indictment against a Netanya resident, who attacked a 74-year-old shop owner in the city after he was reprimanded for not wearing a mask. The store owner lost consciousness and was hospitalized.
The defendant is Tesfahun Elmiyahu, 46, from Netanya, who arrived at a store in the city last week with a bottle of beer in his hand. The owner of the place informed him that he would not be able to enter while he was drunk, and in response Elmiah told him, according to the indictment: “I will show you what it is, I am a man. Why are we from the same community, go away.”
According to the indictment filed today (Monday) in the Magistrate’s Court in Petah Tikva, when the store owner’s wife arrived, the defendant began cursing her and threatening to rape her, and the store owner threatened to kill him.
Following the incident, Elmiah was detained for questioning and released at the end. Shortly afterwards, he arrived at another nearby store, while under the influence of alcohol. A store employee asked him to leave because he was drunk and also because he was not wearing a mask. Elmiah did not respond, and she called the store owner, 74.
The older man demanded that Elmiah leave, but he insisted, and the shopkeeper pushed him toward the front door. Elmihu began attacking the store owner until he fell to the floor. As a result, he lost consciousness, was rushed to a hospital and hospitalized with suspected cerebral hemorrhage.
Against the defendant it was further alleged that the complainants feared him. “Although this is a defendant with no criminal record, evidence shows that he is a defendant who returns to the same street, threatens and assaults various civilians for trivial matters and even in a serious manner and for no apparent reason,” the indictment said.
During his interrogation, Elmihu denied the threats and only admitted that he “pushed” the complainant and caused him to fall to the floor. The prosecution sought to keep him in custody until the end of the proceedings.