Ex-employee of family arrested in their murders
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The man arrested for the murder of three generations of an Israeli family had been fired from the family's restaurant more than a year ago.
Damian Kirilik, 38, was arrested last week for the Oct. 17 murder of six members of the Oshrenko family. Kirilik was fired as head waiter of the family's restaurant in Rishon LeZion.
The victims were Revital, 3, and Netanel, 4 months; their parents, Tatiana, 28, and Dimitry, 32; and grandparents Edward and Ludmilla, both 56. Tatiana and Dimitry were Russian emigres who operated clubs and a restaurant for Russian Israelis.
Their bodies, all bearing stab wounds, were found in their burning apartment.
The investigation has been under a police gag order. Police had questioned employees as well as the relatives and friends of the family.
Robbery and avenging honor appear to be the motives behind the killing, according to reports.
Kirilik's wife, who also had worked at the restaurant, was arrested for aiding the alleged murderer, as were other family members.
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Police have arrested a man in the murders of a family of six found stabbed to death in their burning apartment near Tel Aviv, Israel. Damian Kirilik, 38, is believed to have killed the Oshrenko family at their home in Rishon LeZion after being fired from their restaurant.

Kirilik gave a re-enactment of his alleged actions which saw him wait at the house for each person to return home before killing them. The deceased were 56-year-old grandparents Edward and Lyudmilla Oshrenko, their son and daughter-in-law Dmitry and Tatyana Oshrenko and the children, three-year-old girl Revital and four-month-old boy Netanel.

The Oshrenkos were Russian immigrants who ran the restaurant and several clubs for other Russian Israelis. Kirilik, too, had emigrated from Russia five years ago, where he is alleged to be wanted for robbery. Around two years ago he was sacked from his position as head waiter and police say the years had turned this grudge into hatred.

Police central command chief major general Nissim Mor said Kirilik had asked to be forgiven while kneeling before the infant's cot. Mor commented that "there is no forgiveness for such a thing." Kirilik's wife has admitted to assisting her husband in plans to rob the Oshenkos and is also in custody for assisting him, as are several other Kirilik family members. The murders they are accused of involvement in have been described as "one of Israel's worst-ever crimes", according to the ''Agence France-Presse'' news agency.