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Police arrested two teenagers Wednesday night suspected in the lethal stabbing of 19-year-old Benayahu Razi in a Jerusalem vacation rental, the law enforcement agency said.
One of the apprehended suspects is 16 years old. She is the younger sister of Avior Sasson, 17, a wanted suspect in the killing who is still at large, and is believed to have helped her brother hide from law enforcement.
The pair’s mother, 50-year-old convicted criminal Linor Sasson, is suspected of having arranged the killing, which took place July 11 in the capital’s Nachlaot neighborhood.
The second suspect nabbed Thursday is an 18-year-old resident of Elad. His alleged role in the killing was not immediately clear.
On the night of the incident, Razi was found with critical stab wounds which he soon succumbed to. His friend, who called police to the scene, sustained light injuries in the attack.
Six suspects were arrested in the killing’s wake. They include three male minors suspected of ambushing the pair, and three women — Sasson and two 19-year-olds.
Police believe that two young women contacted Sasson, who arranged to have Razi killed by the group of armed boys.
The killing is linked to bad blood between Razi and 19-year-old Agam Tsarafi, a suspect who had prior acquaintance with Razi, Channel 12 news reported. The channel and other Hebrew outlets said the two were romantically involved, though the victim’s mother rejected this claim.
The other 19-year-old, Shilat Houta, is friends with Tsarafi and is suspected of contacting Sasson, whose criminal past she was familiar with, with a request to use violence against Razi and his friend.
“Investigators have a screenshot of Benayahu Razi shortly before he was murdered. According to the suspicion, Agam Tsarafi watched a livestream of what was going on in the apartment. She was delighted and encouraged by the results,” a source involved in the investigation told Channel 12.
“According to investigators, this was [an act of] revenge for herself and her friend against Razi and his friend, who they claim attacked them, humiliated them and caused them injury,” the source continued.
Tsarafi has denied the suspicions against her. In an interrogation transcript obtained by Channel 12, the young woman told police that she had no clue the gang was going to murder Razi.
“I didn’t know that they were going to murder him. I have no connection to this. I didn’t plan to murder him, that’s a lie. I didn’t order any murder. I’m the victim, there was very severe violence against me,” she insisted, according to the outlet.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ruled Wednesday that Sasson, Tsarafi and Houta will remain in detention until July 29 while officers continue to probe the case.
For their part, the two teenagers arrested last night were due to appear before a judge Thursday for an extension of their remand.
Meanwhile, officers were continuing their manhunt for 17-year-old Sasson. Police took the highly unusual step of publishing his full name and headshot, revealing his identity despite legal protections granted to minors suspected of crimes.
Police urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to report it by calling emergency hotline 100.
The post Two teens arrested in connection with deadly Jerusalem stabbing appeared first on The Times of Israel.
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