The terrorist who murdered 86-year-old Avraham Ozeri in Jerusalem last Thursday had several previous encounters with police, investigators said late on Friday. Not only was terrorist Mohammed Bidan arrested and released recently after refusing to present identification near his village of Tekoa, as reported earlier, but he was also arrested twice in Jerusalem for entering the city without a permit. In both cases, he was released and told to stay in Palestinian Authority-controlled territory.
In addition, Bidan was known by security forces for his participation in various disturbances in the greater Jerusalem area. Bidan's family is affiliated with the Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorist groups, and several relatives were arrested following the attack. However, police said Friday that Bidan acted alone.