A., the 18-year-old arrested on suspicion of setting fire to the home of a daycare worker suspected of abuse, has "no connection" to past or present parents of children in the daycare, Israel Hayom reported.
The site added that A.'s arrest has been extended until Sunday. His identity is still under gag order.
The daycare provider whose home was burned, 25-year-old Carmel Mauda of Rosh Ha'ayin, is suspected of severely abusing children in her care.
Israel Hayom quoted A.'s attorney, Shiloh Dorfman, who said, "My client denies all connection to the incident. He claims he was not in the area at the time of the incident. He has no connection to parents of children in the daycare. I hope that he will be released on Sunday."
Meanwhile, police continue to investigate whether A. was hired by the parents of a child who was previously in the daycare to set fire to Mauda's home. According to police, A. was recorded by security cameras in the area and his phone's location showed he was at the site at the time of the fire.