Yitzhak in his home
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Elderly Holocaust survivor attacked, robbed in his home
Perpetrator beats 90-year-old man, steals his Social Security payments before disappearing in southern Tel Aviv; suspect is still at large.
A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor was attacked violently in his home in southern Tel Aviv on Monday, and was robbed of his humble NIS 2,050 ($585) monthly Social Security budget.
According to the victim, the attacker was a foreign national who hit him, forced his way into his home, and disappeared after stealing his money. However, police speculated that the attacker was Israeli, most likely a drug addict.
Yitzhak in his home after the robbery (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
The elderly Holocaust survivor, named Yitzhak, testified that his attacker lurked in the hall of his apartment building when he came back buying groceries. "When I was walking up the stairs, I saw the man talking on the phone behind me, but I was sure he's a resident of the building", he said.
When Yitzhak opened the door to his apartment, where he lives alone, the suspect knocked him to the ground and beat him severely. "My hands were covered with blood", he described. Afterwards, the attacker searched the elderly man's home for valuables and found a bag containing the money from his Social Security payments.
While the suspect was distracted, Yitzhak locked the door to the apartment from the inside and threw away the key. The attacker stayed in the apartment for a while and even contemplated jumping off the balcony, but eventually he found a spare key, unlocked the door, and escaped.
Yitzhak managed to call his son, who then alerted the police. Officers scanned the area but haven't yet arrested a suspect. "He was looking for my money", Yitzhak added. Paramedics, who also arrived at the scene, treated the elderly man, who suffered injuries to his hands. He refused to be taken to a hospital and stayed with his family in his home.
