A previously-unknown woman who recently moved to the Meah She'arim neighborhood of Jerusalem has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping children, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
According to the report, there were several instances in which the woman brought young children to her home, claiming they were hers. In one instance, she took a little girl from her stroller and ran to her home. In another instance, she took a little boy, and after several of the neighborhood residents started screaming at her, she let him go.
It is not clear why the woman has acted the way she did, but it is thought that she suffers from a mental illness and requires medical treatment, Kikar Hashabbat noted.
On Saturday night, the woman took another boy to her home, causing a great uproar in the neighborhood. During the commotion that followed, the woman let the boy go free. Israel Police officers were called to the scene during the night, but the woman refused to open her door for them when they arrived.
Israel Police is investigating the incidents, and on Sunday a large number of police officers arrived at the woman's home, broke open the door, and arrested her.
"Immediately upon receipt of the report regarding the assault, police officers arrived at the scene and joined the reporter, who refused to file a complaint," Israel Police said in a statement.
"This morning, a complaint on the issue was filed and the investigation was opened and is in its beginning stages. Naturally, we do not disclose details regarding investigations which are ongoing. We will continue to investigate this incident thoroughly and professionally, with the goal of finding the truth."