26 in Two Weeks: Serial ATM Destroyer Caught in Israel
The Amakim District Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against a 40-year-old resident of Samaria who disabled 26 ATMs across Israel in two weeks, causing about 1.5 million shekels in damage. The man did not take money but simply smashed the machines with a boulder. He was arrested in Tiberias while attempting to attack another ATM. He confessed but could not explain his motives. Police noted this is the first case of serial ATM destruction.
On April 12, the Amakim District Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment with the Nazareth Magistrate's Court against a 40-year-old resident of Samaria who, according to the investigation, disabled 26 ATMs in various regions of Israel, causing damage of approximately 1.5 million shekels. He did not attempt to rob the ATMs—they simply stopped working. The first complaint was received on August 3 from the manager of a Leumi bank branch in Tiberias, who discovered six smashed ATMs. Cameras recorded the suspect smashing them with a boulder at 4:22 a.m. Then reports came from Bank Hapoalim and Bank Discount in Afula, as well as from Kfar Saba, where seven devices were damaged. The first attack occurred on July 19 in Hod HaSharon. Police arrested the suspect in Tiberias while he was attempting to attack another ATM; he confessed but could not explain his motives. Police noted this is the first case of serial ATM destruction, unlike known robberies. Attorney Jamal Zangaria stated that his client has difficult life circumstances.