Prosecutor files statement against suspect in killing of attorney Arbel Feldman

Police said a serious indictment is expected in the coming days, together with a request to keep the suspect detained until the end of the proceedings.

A prosecutor’s statement has been filed against the man suspected of fatally shooting attorney Arbel Feldman inside his Rishon Lezion office earlier this month, police announced on Tuesday, bringing the case a step closer to an indictment.

The Central District Attorney’s Office filed the statement after police completed their investigation into the August 4 killing. Police said a serious indictment is expected in the coming days, together with a request to keep the suspect detained until the end of the proceedings.

A prosecutor’s statement formally notifies the court that prosecutors intend to file charges and need a short period to prepare them.

The investigation began after police received an emergency call reporting gunfire at an office on Moshe Levy Street in Rishon Lezion.

“They shot my office partner,” the caller told the police emergency line, according to the police account.

Officers who reached the office found Feldman after he had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said their investigation found that the suspect, who knew Feldman, came to the lawyer’s office and shot him several times during their meeting before fleeing.

Investigators launch manhunt for suspect in murder of lawyer

Central District Commander Amir Cohen assigned the investigation to the Shfela Central Unit after holding a special assessment at the scene, police said. Investigators then launched a manhunt across several police districts, using operational, intelligence, and technological measures to trace the suspect’s escape route. The suspect eventually surrendered, according to police.

Police said investigators and forensic officers collected evidence from the office, analyzed surveillance footage, and carried out additional investigative steps before transferring the case to prosecutors.

The suspect, whom police described as an Ashdod resident in his 20s, has remained in custody since his arrest. His detention has been extended several times as the investigation progressed.

The suspect was a former client. Investigators were examining a dispute over compensation from a personal-injury case in which Feldman had represented him.

Feldman, a Rishon Lezion resident and father of three, was remembered by friends and colleagues as quiet, courteous and devoted to his family. The morning after his killing, lawyers and Israel Bar Association employees stood for two minutes of silence outside courthouses across the country.