More than two years after a horrific incident that left a chareidi mother of 11 critically injured, police in Yerushalayim have finally apprehended one of the central suspects, who had evaded arrest for nearly two and a half years. The arrest was reported Thursday afternoon by journalist Liran Tamari.
According to police suspicions, the man played a key role in an attack during riots on Rechov Yechezkel in Yerushalayim in 2022, when a burning garbage bin was pushed down a slope and struck the woman with great force, leaving her severely wounded.
The victim, 40-year-old Mirel Dzhilovsky, had left her home that Thursday in December 2022 to shop for Shabbos. As she walked near Rechov Yechezkel, where violent protests were unfolding, she was suddenly struck in the chest by a flaming trash container. The impact caused her to collapse on the sidewalk, and she was rushed in critical condition to the trauma unit at Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center.
Mirel suffered life-threatening bilateral lung injuries and required immediate, invasive life-saving treatment. Once her condition stabilized, she remained in intensive care for an extended period under the supervision of Dr. Philip Levin.
In July 2023, a precedent-setting sentence was handed down by the Jerusalem District Court in connection with the case. Meir Katsav, another individual involved in the same incident, was sentenced to 20 months in prison under a plea deal. He was also ordered to pay financial compensation and received a suspended sentence. Katsav had been convicted of pushing the trash bin that caused Mirel’s critical injuries.
According to the indictment, the defendant, together with others, deliberately ignited a dumpster during riots on Yechezkel Street and used it to block traffic. The trash bin was then forcefully pushed from different angles in an effort to move it into the middle of the road. Because the street slopes downward, the burning dumpster rolled downhill, and one of its corners struck the woman with brutal force.
Following the impact, the woman collapsed, and the defendant, along with the others involved, fled the scene. As a result of their actions, she was hospitalized in intensive care. The defendant has now been convicted of aggravated assault under aggravating circumstances and endangering public safety. His sentencing follows the plea deal presented to the court.
{Matzav.com Israel}