CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — The theft of a Sefer Torah, valued at over $40,000, shook Crown Heights last week, many different newspapers and TV stations covered the incident along with the plea to help have it returned.
A number of people made an absurd accusation that the theft had been committed by someone who was Jewish, with the reasoning that only a Jew would know the value of a torah. But police were able to pull surveillance footage from two security cameras on the block.
Surveillance Video of the Thief who Stole the Sefer Torah
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — The theft of a Sefer Torah, valued at over $40,000, shook Crown Heights last week, many different newspapers and TV stations covered the incident along with the plea to help have it returned.
A number of people made an absurd accusation that the theft had been committed by someone who was Jewish, with the reasoning that only a Jew would know the value of a torah. But police were able to pull surveillance footage from two security cameras on the block.
Timestamp on the video indicated that the theft occurred at 4:14am, (23 seconds from the start of the video) and that there are possibly two accomplices involved.
Their description is two Black males who appear to be in their 30’s or 40’s, one with a large build while the other slim, one wearing a light blue coat and dark color pants, while the other wearing a dark blue coat and pants.
Initially the two are seen walking towards the car together, then one splits up and appears to be going into one of the buildings, then rejoins the first suspect, he is then seen in the next shot walking past the car then back to it, and is then seen casually walking away from the car again with what appears to be the Sefer Torah in hand, the second suspect is then seen running after the first.
The security cameras were installed by Mezuri Systems, a Crown Heights company leading in the field of security and surveillance.
You can enlarge the video to full screen mode in order to better see the suspects.
in the heights
look out they are probably going to sell them on ebay
A sefer suspect
Why was the idea absurd? Beside it making perfect sense, it was a product of past experience. But I’m glad to see it wasn’t a Jew.
ch resident
would help if u told us at wut time it started..
me
Why is that accusation absurd? It is a completely logical claim?
chaim
why would someone want to steal what appears to be “just some scroll”??
qkfngers
hope they find the guy/s who stole the torah. but this video, to me, shows nothing but some guys going down the street in fast-forward motion.
MEZURI FAN
GOOOOOOOOOOOO MEZURI SYSTEMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DID IT AFAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anonymous
people know how importnant a torah scroll is to jews even if they are not jewish
anonymous
now for sure they will know how much a torah scoll is important for jews. At The news they said it cost from 45 000 to 85 000, some will be very interested to get one.
they don’t know it will be hard to resell it, they know the value, gabay start putting video in your shul b/c chas veshalom but some will have some thinking for sefer torah.
NOw that they know the value!!!!!!!!!!!!
Common sense
Why don’t they look at the cameras on Utica Ave. (The traffic cameras)or the cameras on Schenectady? In addition theres also cameras in the courtyards of some of the buildings on the block.
Kashe li lehavin?
I dont understand??
Who leaves a sefer torah in a car overnight?!?!
Of course....
Wasn’t the sefer torah in a duffle bag? They probably had no idea what was in there. They just saw a full bag and went for it. I never assumed it would have been yidden, chas v’shalom. Knowing it was in a bag, I just assumed it would have been crooks looking for a find.
NOT A YID
It forsure was not a yid the theif couldnt even see what it was