A 40-year-old man from Rishon Lezion was indicted on Tuesday on aggravated assault and intimidation charges after assaulting a relative who he accused of "casting a spell" on his 13-year-old daughter.
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The incident involved running over and stabbing a close family member, with suspicions arising regarding the individual's alleged attempt to cast a spell on his 13-year-old daughter.
According to the indictment, the suspect purchased a knife from a store in Petah Tikva earlier this month and drove to the home of the victim's brother in disguise. He claimed to be a representative of a well-known rabbi who wished to make a charitable donation to the victim, thereby learning his whereabouts.
He followed the victim all the way to his house until he left on a bike. The suspect trailed the victim until they reached a cul de sac. The suspect then accelerated, hitting the victim with his car, and then exited the vehicle and stabbed them three times in the upper body.
The victim suffered several broken ribs and a punctured lung, and underwent surgery before being discharged from the hospital earlier this week.
The suspect called emergency services and reported a hit-and-run and was taken to the hospital from where he fled to a yeshiva, according to prosecutors.
In his investigation, he claimed that the victim had cast a spell on his children and abused them. He was referred for a psychiatric evaluation at his lawyer's request to determine his mental fitness.
"We are at the beginning of the legal process. Due to the suspect's mental state, the court referred him for a psychiatric evaluation,” said the suspect’s attorney Anat Kirshenberg.
“We will wait to receive the results and the investigation materials and consider our legal options moving forward."