Police are continuing their investigation into “severe abuse” of the elderly in the area of Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda marketplace.

Police have learned of what appears to be abuse of helpless elderly people in the shuk area by video on social media. In addition to two suspects who were arrested to date, a third suspect was taken into custody Wednesday, an Arab in his 20s who resides in the eastern capital.

All three suspects were arraigned in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. The court released one of the suspects, a man in his 50s.

Earlier in the week, Amar Muhtasav was arrested in the Machane Yehuda area while cruelly humiliating elderly persons and taking photos.

The second suspect is also a man in his 50s, also an eastern Jerusalem Arab.

During the remand hearing before Judge Oren Silberman, the police representative asked to extend Amar’s detention for a week in light of the suspicions against him, abusing and assaulting an elderly person, an attack viewed as racist.

Police Sgt. Avi Shabtai received the intelligence report and began probing the Amar’s Facebook page, seeing a video in which he is cursing and hurting seniors in the marketplace. The officer forwarded the video along with other videos to the point commander in the market. This led to the identification of the suspect and this led police to a brother, who instructed them how to find the suspect and arrest him.

Amar admitted it was his voice and face in the video in police possession.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)