Yerushalmi "tzaddik" Charged in $200,000 Light Rail Arson; Suspenders Led Police to Him

 

A 22-year-old Yerushalayim resident has been indicted for allegedly setting fire to equipment at the Yerushalayim light rail construction site on Rechov Bar-Ilan, causing an estimated 700,000 shekels (approximately $200,000) in damage. According to reports, investigators identified the suspect in part because of the distinctive suspenders he was wearing.

Prosecutors allege that the incident occurred late at night about a month ago, when the suspect allegedly set fire to large pipes stored at the construction site. The blaze caused extensive damage to the project, with losses estimated at roughly 700,000 shekels.

According to i24NEWS reporter Shlomi Heller, investigators were able to identify the suspect based on several unique articles of clothing, including the suspenders he was wearing. Police also reportedly relied on the testimony of a passerby who said the suspect had asked him for a lighter just minutes before the fire was ignited.

In a separate but related development, Yerushalayim police and firefighters were called Tuesday to the Banks Junction area of the city after reports of explosions and a fire near another light rail construction site.

Emergency crews discovered that electrical cables at the construction site had been set ablaze, causing a widespread power outage that affected nearby homes and businesses.

Firefighters succeeded in extinguishing the blaze, while police launched an investigation and began searching for those responsible.