There were more police officers than normal patrolling the central city promenade in the Tel Aviv suburb of Petah Tikvah on Monday afternoon. Loitering on a corner, two adolescent boys were pulled aside by cops who spoke to them for a few minutes before deciding they weren’t trouble and letting them go.

For Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, the upped presence of law enforcement came too late. Early Wednesday morning, as the country celebrated Independence Day, the 21-year-old Pizza Hut employee was brutally beaten and stabbed to death by a group of teenagers in front of the store as he ended his shift.

The murder, on a main street in full view of passersby and security cameras, sent shockwaves through the city and far beyond, bringing the subject of juvenile delinquency to the center of the national consciousness.

But the phenomenon of marauding, violent teenagers terrorizing city streets had been troubling Petah Tikva, as it has other cities, for some time before it became lethal last week.

“I’m not surprised about the murder, because I’ve been shouting about this issue for over a year, but I am surprised that no one has dealt with it until now,” said Yaron Kedoshim, a social activist and volunteer police patrolman in Petah Tikva who runs a hostel for the developmentally disabled.

Since the killing, the site of the murder has been transformed into a makeshift memorial to Zelka, the doors to the Pizza Hut blocked by wreaths, posters lamenting violence and asking forgiveness, and dozens of memorial candles spread out across the sidewalk.

Just south of there, the downtown promenade continued to bustle with midday activity Monday. Retirees sipped coffee outside kiosks and once school ended, the sidewalk filled with parents walking their children home, leisurely stopping at shops on the way.

“I’m not scared about walking around here, but my grandson is 13 and I’m very worried for him,” said a woman who gave her first name as Yehudit. Nearby, cops stopped two young boys on scooters.

The Tuesday night attack, caught on film by a security camera, involved a group of around a dozen youths who allegedly got mad at Zelka after he told them to stop spraying party foam in the restaurant. Police suspect the group waited for Zelka to finish his shift. They then jumped him, kicking and punching him as he tried to defend himself.

At some point, one of the teenagers took out a knife and stabbed Zelka. In the footage, the attacker can be seen backing away from the brawl, knife still in hand, as the victim bleeds out on the ground.

Lying on the sidewalk in a pool of blood, Zelka continued to be kicked by some in the group, who then ran away.

He was taken to the hospital, where a day later he succumbed to his wounds.

According to Hebrew media outlets, it took police more than 36 hours to seriously investigate the killing, believing at first that it was a brawl among teenagers that had gotten out of hand. No........

© The Times of Israel