Rehovot Stabbing: Indictment Filed for Attempted Murder After Bystander Intervention
An intervention against verbal abuse in Rehovot escalated to attempted murder as a suspect stabbed a bystander, leaving him with severe neurological damage after resuscitation.
A dispute that broke out near a kiosk in Rehovot, after a bystander intervened to stop a man from verbally abusing a female passerby, quickly escalated into a severe stabbing attack.
According to the indictment filed by the Central District Attorney's Office, the defendant, Shahar Azulay, returned to the scene armed with a knife, riding an electric bicycle, and repeatedly stabbed the man who had confronted him in the face and head. The victim lost his pulse while receiving treatment at the hospital, underwent two rounds of resuscitation, and suffered permanent neurological damage.
The Escalation at the Kiosk
The incident took place late in August during the evening hours, when the victim, known as A., was sitting with his girlfriend at a kiosk plaza in Rehovot, while Azulay was sitting nearby. At a certain point, a woman passed by and the defendant hurled profanities at her. A. pointed out his unacceptable behavior, leading to a verbal altercation. According to the charges, during this exchange, Azulay threatened A., stating, "I will show you, I'll mess you up."
Following the heated exchange, the kiosk owner asked the parties to leave. A. and his girlfriend moved to a supermarket complex located just meters away and sat down, while Azulay walked in the opposite direction. However, it was then that the defendant allegedly formed the intent to kill A.
"I will cut him, I will mess him up, I'll show that asshole what's what," Azulay allegedly shouted while returning to the scene.
Brutal Attack and Resuscitation
About fifteen minutes later, Azulay returned to the kiosk plaza, pacing the area while holding a knife and issuing violent threats. Approximately three minutes later, Azulay approached the spot where A. and his girlfriend were sitting, riding an electric bicycle. He dismounted, approached A., drew the knife, and inflicted multiple stab wounds to his face and head.
When A.'s girlfriend told Azulay she was calling the police, he cursed at her, fled the scene on his bicycle, and disposed of the knife in an unknown location.
A. was rushed by ambulance to Kaplan Medical Center suffering from critical injuries. The indictment details that he was diagnosed with a cut on his left hand and numerous long, deep lacerations across his scalp, skull, and face, alongside massive hemorrhaging. At the hospital, due to unstoppable bleeding and airway obstruction, his condition deteriorated rapidly. During surgery, he lost his pulse and underwent two rounds of chest compressions and resuscitation.
Following the surgery, he was sedated and placed on a ventilator for several days. Subsequently, he suffered neurological damage due to oxygen deprivation and, two weeks later, was transferred from the hospital to a neurological rehabilitation facility while still dependent on artificial ventilation.
The State Attorney's Office has charged Azulay with attempted murder, threats, possession of a knife, and obstruction of justice. Alongside the indictment, prosecutors filed a motion to keep him in custody until the conclusion of legal proceedings.
