Jerusalem man indicted for poisoning baby food jars, hospitalizing five children

17 pills per jar: Indictment reveals details of Prinok poisoning case

Jars of Prinok puree laced with the equivalent of at least 17 prescription pills each, prosecutors say.

Jerusalem man indicted for poisoning baby food jars, hospitalizing five children

The indictment, filed in Jerusalem District Court, sets out the state’s account of two incidents in May and June involving Prinok fruit and vegetable puree sold at two Zol Begadol branches.

Prosecutors: Baby Food Jars Were Spiked With Equivalent of at Least 17 Prescription Pills Each

Israeli prosecutors have filed an indictment against a 41-year-old Be’er Sheva man accused of deliberately contaminating jars of baby food with powerful prescription medication and returning them to supermarket shelves in Yerushalayim, allegedly poisoning five infants and toddlers who later consumed the products. The State Prosecutor’s Office filed the charges against Yan Shamala in the Yerushalayim District Court, alleging that he tampered with jars of Prinok baby food puree before placing them back in stores where unsuspecting customers could purchase them. Five young children who consumed the allegedly contaminated puree suffered poisoning severe enough to require hospitalization, according to the indictment. The charges concern a series of incidents that prosecutors say occurred during May and June 2026. The prosecution has asked the court to keep Shamala in custody for the duration of the proceedings against him. According to prosecutors, Shamala had prescription benzodiazepine medications in his possession. Such drugs may not be administered to children without specialist authorization. Investigators allege that on multiple occasions, Shamala crushed the pills, mixed them into jars of Prinok puree, resealed the containers and then put them on shelves at Zol U’Begadol supermarkets in Yerushalayim, making the jars appear no different from the other baby food being sold. In one of the alleged incidents, Shamala placed two contaminated jars in the baby-products section of the chain’s Jaffa Street store near Machane Yehuda, prosecutors said. Tests allegedly showed that each container held the equivalent of approximately 17 or more prescription pills. A mother subsequently bought one of those jars. The next day, her 12-year-old daughter served the puree to her two younger sisters, who were approximately three-and-a-half years old and eight months old. The two small children collapsed shortly after eating the food, suffering extreme weakness and impaired consciousness. Both were rushed to the hospital in an intensive care ambulance and remained hospitalized for several days. Medical testing showed severe benzodiazepine poisoning, with levels approximately 10 times higher than the maximum value considered within the normal range. Prosecutors allege that Shamala carried out a similar act at another Jaffa Street location, this one situated near Yerushalayim’s Central Bus Station. He is accused of putting four jars containing prescription medication onto the store’s shelves. According to the indictment, those containers likewise held the equivalent of approximately 17 or more prescription pills apiece. One of the jars was bought and eventually consumed by three small children — two approximately three years old and an 11-month-old baby. All three children developed alarming symptoms within minutes, including confusion, drowsiness, difficulty maintaining stability and loss of muscle tone. They were transported to the hospital and admitted for treatment, where testing indicated severe benzodiazepine poisoning. In response to the poisonings, the supermarket removed all of the company’s baby food purees from its shelves. Subsequent examinations uncovered additional jars containing the substance. Authorities later issued closure orders for two of the supermarket chain’s locations amid concerns over the danger to public health. Shamala now faces five counts of using a dangerous poison and five counts of assaulting a minor or helpless person. Prosecutors have additionally charged him with two counts of attempted use of a dangerous poison, two counts of attempted assault of a minor or helpless person, and theft. Attorney Moria Beina Weisman of the Yerushalayim District Prosecutor’s Office emphasized the potential severity of the alleged acts and said the consequences could have been considerably worse. “Five babies and toddlers were harmed, and these incidents could have ended with far more serious consequences and harmed additional children. These were young babies and toddlers, the youngest just eight months old, who were harmed by food intended for them.” Weisman said the fact that the alleged acts involved food specifically intended for babies and very young children made the accusations particularly serious. “Targeting specifically children of these ages through a basic product intended to nourish them compounds the severity of the acts attributed to the defendant,” she added. {Matzav.com}