A 19-year-old from Yerushalayim has been taken into custody and formally charged with intentionally damaging vital emergency and security infrastructure in the vicinity of the kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron.
The arrest took place just days ahead of the Lag Ba’omer gathering, an annual pilgrimage expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of attendees.
The indictment accuses the young man of purposefully sabotaging essential systems designed to ensure the safety of visitors making the trip to Meron.
In recent weeks, Northern District police received several reports of deliberate destruction to safety-related installations around the Meron area.
The accused is said to have spray-painted black paint on multiple security cameras, vandalized walls along the derech hakohanim with inflammatory messages, and in a separate incident, cut important wires and inflicted significant harm to monitoring equipment—causing damages estimated in the tens of thousands of shekels.
Following these reports, law enforcement launched a focused investigation, which eventually led them to the suspect. He was located at the end of last month hiding inside a storage area in Tzefas, where officers apprehended him.
Police have now filed a formal indictment with serious charges and have petitioned the court to keep the suspect behind bars throughout the legal process.
Along with the charges, authorities have submitted a request for the suspect’s detention to be extended until the trial reaches its conclusion.
{Matzav.com Israel}