Criminal8/31/2026

Detention of Suspect in Kidnapping of 10-Year-Old Yahli Extended by Three Days

The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court extended by three days the detention of a 20-year-old Jerusalem resident who is being questioned on suspicion of kidnapping 10-year-old Yahli Shabtai. The child was found in Bnei Brak about five hours after the search began—near the suspect.

Key facts

•The suspect: a 20-year-old Jerusalem resident
•The court: Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court
•The detention was extended by three days
•The child was found at around 01:30 in Bnei Brak
•The case number and exact date of the decision were not specified

The Disappearance and Search

Yahli left his home in the Kfar Ganim Gimmel neighborhood of Petah Tikva to play with friends in a nearby park and did not return. The search began at around 20:30. At around 01:30, the child was located in Bnei Brak near a 20-year-old Jerusalem resident, who was arrested at the scene.

What Is Known About the Investigation

According to the child’s mother, Shiran Shabtai, an unfamiliar young man asked the children for money and used a navigation app on their phones to search for directions to Bnei Brak. She also said that he made a call from one of the phones and deleted the call details, but investigators managed to recover the data and trace his route. Police confirmed to Walla that the detainee was questioned on suspicion of kidnapping.

The Court’s Decision and the Defense’s Position

Police applied to the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court to keep the suspect in detention during the investigation. The court extended his detention by three days; the case number, the exact date of the decision, and the detailed legal grounds were not specified in the source. Attorney Frida Wall of the Public Defender’s Office said that the young man is cooperating with the investigation, presented his version of events, and claims that he did not intend to harm the child.

The Proceedings Have Not Yet Concluded

The detention extension is an interim decision at the investigative stage and is not a determination of guilt or the imposition of a sentence. The source did not report that an indictment had been filed or that a final decision had been made in the case. It stated only that the investigation is being conducted on suspicion of kidnapping.

What this means for you

The story indicates that the court may temporarily extend a suspect’s detention while police continue their investigation. Such a decision does not in itself prove guilt: the continuation of the proceedings depends on the evidence collected and the next procedural decisions. For families of missing children, the article also illustrates the practical importance of quickly providing police with information about phone calls, searches, and the child’s most recent contacts.

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Case analysis based on court rulings