Jerusalem District police officers arrested two Palestinian minors, aged 15 and 16, for their involvement in separate vehicle thefts, officials reported on Tuesday.
According to the police, the minors are West Bank residents who entered Israel illegally and stole several vehicles from Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem.
In both cases, the suspects drove recklessly without a license, endangering other drivers. Police suspect that the pair wore kippahs to avoid detection.
A few days ago, the police emergency hotline received a report of a vehicle theft in Beit Shemesh. Station officers quickly arrived at the scene and located the vehicle as the suspect, a 15-year-old, was driving against the flow of traffic, endangering himself and others.
When the driver noticed the police, he began to flee until he hit police patrol cars. The officers arrested the suspect and seized a bag containing break-in tools, vehicle keys, a car computer, and a white kippah.
Police arrest Palestinian minors for stealing cars
The suspect was arrested and transferred to the Beit Shemesh station for investigation, where it was revealed that he was involved in six additional vehicle theft incidents in Beit Shemesh and the Jerusalem area.
On Tuesday, the Jerusalem District Police Prosecution Unit filed a declaration against the suspect. His detention was extended until November 23, pending the filing of an indictment.
Within the past week, the police emergency hotline received another report about a stolen vehicle in the Jerusalem area. Beit Shemesh station officers located the vehicle near Hizma Square, traveling toward Highway 437. The suspect noticed the officers, quickly exited the vehicle, and tried to flee on foot, but was caught shortly thereafter.
The suspect, a 16-year-old minor from the West Bank without an entry permit to Israel, was arrested on the spot. He was wearing a black kippah. Police later discovered that he was underage and driving without a license.