Tiberias resident charged with attempted abduction, sex offenses against 9-year-old girl

A Tiberias resident was charged with attempted abduction and sexual offenses after following and escaping from two sisters, with police quickly arresting him following a report from their mother.

 A police car at night. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
A police car at night.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)

The Israel Police on Thursday arrested and charged a Tiberias resident, Omri Haim Finkelstein, with attempted abduction and sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl while she was walking down the street with her six-year-old sister.

The police charged the suspect upon receiving a report from the mother of the girls.

In the footage collected by the police, the suspect is seen following the girls and running away after his actions.

After receiving the report, dozens of police officers were dispatched to the scene and began investigating the incident, including through the use of technological means.

 An illustrative image of an Israel Police officer. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
An illustrative image of an Israel Police officer. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE)

Investigation and arrest of a 35-year-old suspect 

These efforts led to the arrest of the 35-year-old suspect, a resident of the city, who was taken for questioning at the local police station.

“Immediately upon receiving the report from the mother, we carried out rapid investigative actions, which led to the suspect’s arrest just minutes before he left the city,” said Sergeant Eden Abutbul, a police officer at the Tiberias station.

“During the investigation, I met two intelligent and brave girls who fought with great resourcefulness and courage to escape the suspect’s grasp, never separating from each other for even a moment. If there is a bright spot in this story, it’s that at the end of a complex investigation conducted throughout, we managed to file an indictment that will keep the defendant behind bars,” she concluded.