Man murders ex-wife, leaps to his death in Beersheva

Four children orphaned after man allegedly stabs 40-year-old ex-wife to death during argument, then jumps out of 4th floor window.

JANUARY 9, 2011 14:22

police car 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski) — police car 311

(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)

Four children became orphans in Beersheba on Sunday when their father allegedly stabbed and killed their mother before seemingly plunging to his own death from a fourth-floor apartment.

The couple had been divorced, and the murder suspect has a previous conviction of domestic violence for which he served a 20- month prison sentence.

Emergency services were called out to the Beersheba address shortly before midday by neighbors.

Magen David Adom paramedics found the body of 45-year-old Zakai Hizgilov on the sidewalk beneath the building.

Hizgilov was rushed to the city’s Soroka University Hospital but doctors there declared him dead on arrival.

Paramedics discovered the lifeless body of Ludmila Azrov, 41, in her home. She had died as a result of multiple stab wounds, they said.

Police officers declared the area a homicide and suicide scene.

Hizgilov had been permitted by a court to visit his four children, aged six, nine, 15 and 22 on a regular basis in the presence of his ex-wife.

The Beersheba Municipality said the family was under the care of social services. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, however, was unable to confirm this.

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She added that the children are with their maternal grandmother and are being visited by social workers.

Ruth Eglash contributed to this report.