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Police indict Afula man for torching romantic rival's car

The Zioneer Intelligence DeskUpdated 08:11

Primary source Internal intake · 2 reviewed intake signals · Desk window 08:05–08:11

TL;DR

Israel Police filed an indictment against a 29-year-old Afula resident for allegedly setting a vehicle on fire in early morning of June 7, damaging nearby cars. The suspect was arrested after police identified his cellphone left at the scene, according to Northern District investigators. The motive was a romantic dispute involving an acquaintance, police said.

01 · THE DISPATCH

Northern District police arrested a 29-year-old Afula resident within hours of a vehicle arson on June 7, after investigators found his cellphone at the scene.

The suspect arrived at Afula police station later that day to retrieve the device through a tracking app, at which point officers connected him to the fire, according to a police spokesperson. The investigation revealed text messages between the suspect and the acquaintance showing prior planning, including a photo of the target vehicle and a message reading: 'I wanted to ask if you can tell me if this is the car of the ex. I scouted the area, cameras, neighborhoods, everything.'

The indictment, filed by the Northern District Prosecutor's Office at the Nazareth-Nof HaGalil District Court, also includes a request to detain the suspect until the end of proceedings. The suspect's connection to the victim was established through a shared romantic acquaintance, police said.

The Zioneer has not independently corroborated the evidence cited in the police statement.

Earlier this month, The Zioneer reported on a vehicle fire in Pardes Hanna, which had no connection to this case.

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This dispatch is published under The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. Raw intake channels remain internal provenance; an external outlet or channel is named only when it materially helps readers evaluate a specific claim.