The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office filed a statement of charges Thursday against Yan Shmela, 41, of Beersheba, for allegedly inserting sedatives into baby fruit puree products. The suspect is accused of deliberately introducing benzodiazepines into Prinok puree jars, an act that hospitalized several infants in Jerusalem. The investigation, led by Jerusalem district police with Shin Bet involvement, identified Shmela after extensive surveillance and forensic analysis, according to The Zioneer.
Jerusalem prosecutors on Thursday took a formal step toward charging Yan Shmela, a 41-year-old Beersheba resident, with deliberately contaminating baby food products with sedatives. The filing of a prosecutor's statement (הצהרת תובע) marks the culmination of a months-long investigation that began after several infants were hospitalized with signs of benzodiazepine poisoning at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in June.
As The Zioneer reported in June and July, the case drew widespread public attention after sedatives including clonazepam and lorazepam were detected in Prinok brand baby fruit puree sold at Zol VeGadol supermarket branches in Jerusalem. Police launched a criminal investigation, eventually joined by the Shin Bet. The suspect's defense attorney previously stated that Shmela is a mental health patient and is cooperating with investigators. The court is expected to rule on extending his detention pending indictment.
The investigation involved reviewing hundreds of hours of security camera footage and employing advanced technological measures, according to police. The suspect had no prior connection to the affected infants. The prosecutor's statement clears the way for a formal indictment to be filed in the coming days.
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