Baruchim’s attorney, Eyal Simhony, said that his client did not intend to murder anyone and was shocked by the women’s deaths.
“He had no intention of hurting anyone. Before throwing the firebomb, he rang the doorbell to check if people were in the apartment and no one answered so he thought it was empty. He acted at an hour when he thought no one would be in the brothel.”
Simhony, a public defender, confirmed that Baruchim had confessed to setting the fires, saying that his client believed that it was his mission to purify the city since the police weren’t doing so.
Simhony also said that in their brief meeting, his client sounded sensible, but added that he was not an expert that could diagnose whether his client suffers from a psychological disorder.
A Tel Aviv court approved Saturday night a police request to remand Baruchim for 10 days to complete their investigation. The court also barred publication of his picture to allow police to hold a line-up.
A police spokeswoman said Saturday that evidence suggests that Baruchim worked alone.
Internal Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and Inspector-General Yehuda Wilk both praised Tel Aviv police chief Cmdr. Shlomo Aharonishky and the district’s Central Division, which handles serious crimes, for apprehending Baruchim.