Customer launches violent campaign against renovator

The man, who is under arrest, hired the renovator to carry out a series of works at his girlfriend's home several months ago.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Police at Tel Aviv Central Bus Station 370 (photo credit: Ricardo Mallaco)
Police at Tel Aviv Central Bus Station 370
(photo credit: Ricardo Mallaco)
A Tel Aviv resident allegedly launched an extensive campaign of violence and armed threats against a renovator after becoming disgruntled with his work, police said Thursday.
The man, who is under arrest, hired the renovator to work on his girlfriend’s home several months ago. “He wasn’t happy with the result, and then the incidents began,” a Tel Aviv police spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, the renovator initially was assaulted by unidentified men. Then he was invited to meetings where men threatened him with guns.
“He was too frightened to lodge a complaint,” the spokesman said.
Police learned of the alleged intimidation campaign through informers and made contact with the renovator.
Detectives convinced him to provide testimony about the assaults.
Next, they began monitoring the suspect and found that he allegedly was involved in the sale of silencers for firearms.
“He went to an engraver with a request to begin constructing cylinders for use as silencers,” the police spokesman said of the suspect.
“The silencers were intended for sale to criminals.”