Double Murder Suspect Shot, Killed After Police Chase in Central Israel

The suspect, Yan Gabrielov, was killed after a car chase; a loaded gun was later found in his car.

May 28, 2016

The scene of the police shooting in Lod, May 28, 2016. The victims (inset, L) and the murder suspect (inset, R).Credit: Moti Milrod, Courtesy

Yaniv Kubovich

May 28, 2016

Police on Saturday shot and killed a suspect in Wednesday's double murder in Rishon Letzion following a car chase. A loaded gun was later found in the vehicle of the suspect, who has been identified as Yan Gabrielov..

The couple killed on Wednesday were Anastasia Rusanov and her boyfriend, Police had suspected that they were killed by Gabrielov, who was Rusanov's former boyfriend. She had complained to police the prior Sunday that he had been following her and had threatened her.

At about 6:30 P.M. Saturday, undercover police officers spotted Gabrielov driving in the city of Lod, southeast of Tel Aviv. When he noticed that he was being followed, he began driving recklessly in an effort to evade them, the Israel Police said. He refused to comply with orders to stop and was endangering others in the area, driving on the wrong side of the road, police said. Additional forces were called in and he was ultimately shot to death by Central District Police Maj. Gen. Moti Cohen.

Anastasia Rusanov, left, and Eliezer Kandinov, whose bodies were found at Rusanov's Rishon Letzion apartment on May 25, 2016.Credit: Courtesy

In Wednesday's double homicide, Rusanov and her boyfriend, Kandinov were found dead at Rusanov's Rishon Letzion apartment, south of Tel Aviv. On the Sunday before the killings, Rusanov filed a report with the police, telling them that Gabrielov had been threatening her. The suspect reportedly also sent Rusanov a text message while she was at the police station informing her that he knew where she was and telling her to leave the station.

Police then referred her to a women's shelter for victims of domestic violence but she decided to leave the shelter within a matter of hours and returned to her apartment in Rishon Letzion.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan praised the police for stopping Gabrielov. "Quietly, professionally and risking their own lives, the police and commanders reached him and prevented additional harm to innocent people."