GREAT NECK, NY [CHI] — It is every parent’s worst nightmare, and for Rabbi Yitzchok and Tamar Chayempour, Shluchim in Great Neck, Long Island, it came true this morning when their live-in maid walked out and vanished with their six-month old daughter Esti.
Maid Kidnaps Shluchim’s 6-Month-Old Daughter
GREAT NECK, NY [CHI] — It is every parent’s worst nightmare, and for Rabbi Yitzchok and Tamar Chayempour, Shluchim in Great Neck, Long Island, it came true this morning when their live-in maid walked out and vanished with their six-month old daughter Esti.
The horror began to unfold at 9:50 this morning, when Rabbi Yitzchok Chayempour spotted their live-in maid walking along Middle Neck Road with his child. After calling out to her and asking what she was doing, she responded that she was heading over to the CVS pharmacy up the road. After attempting a quick U-turn, the maid vanished and the frantic search began.
The maid, Gloria Suarez, a 53-year-old native of Uruguay, had been in the United States for 11 years on a work visa. Ms. Suarez had been a live-in maid with the Chayempours over the summer months. She was hired through an agency that vets and does background checks on all the maids that they refer before recommending them for hire.
According to the family, Ms. Suarez had finished working for them this past Friday and had moved her belongings out, but she had requested to stay a few more days until she had arranged her new place to stay, which the Shluchim allowed.
After losing sight of Ms. Suarez, R. Chayempour sped up to the CVS in search of the maid. “She was only a maid and was absolutely not a baby sitter, we made sure to never leave her alone with Esti, or any of the kids” he said.
When he could not find her at the store, he returned home to check if she was there. He asked his wife if she let the maid take the baby out, and she responded that she had not left Esti alone with her, and that she didn’t even know that she had left.
Right away family members began a frantic search, going store to store, and mobilizing the community to search for the maid. Minute to minute it became increasingly clear that this was, in fact, an abduction.
Over the past few weeks Ms. Suarez had expressed much interest – almost too much – in the child to Tamar Chayempour, telling her that she was married once only to be divorced shortly after and never had any children of her own. The maid’s interest in the child was slightly off-putting to the mother, especially after she kept asking to take little Esti out on walks in her free time – requests which were consistently turned down.
Nassau County Police were notified, but the police were reluctant to rush and classify the incident as an abduction, saying that they needed to wait more time, and that maybe the maid would show up with the infant.
This wasn’t satisfactory to the family, and the father’s own frantic search led him back to the CVS, where he ran into a member of his community who recommended that he check the local bus station, since that would be a preferred method of travel for the maid.
Of the only two bus lines that run in the area, Yitzchok ran over to the bus stop and asked one of drivers if he remembered the maid, who has very distinct long silvery hair. To his luck, the driver remembered dropping off a pair with the exact description! He even remembered dropping her off near Stepping Stone Park.
The father rushed over to the park where he met the park security and asked them if they had seen the maid with a child. Once again thanks to her distinctive appearance they had remembered the maid, and that she thought that the park was a train station. Thinking she was confused, security called a taxi for her, but they did not know what her destination was.
It was around this time that the police started getting proactively involved in the search. After learning that the maid had gotten into a cab, the police reached out to all the local cab companies, and moments later got a response from one of them saying that they had just dropped off a pair of passengers matching the description at the Roslyn Train Station.
Roslyn Police were immediately notified and they rushed over to the station, where they found the maid with the baby standing on the platform waiting for a train. When police asked her whose baby it was, she replied that it was her own. When they inquired further, she changed her story, saying it was her brother’s child and she was going to meet him.
When police attempted to take the maid into custody, a struggle broke out as she refused to part with the baby; only after some negotiations did she give in and police placed her under arrest.
A short while later, little Esti was was reunited with her father and mother.
“When my husband came into the house looking for Esti and Gloria and we started looking for them, I wrote in to the Ohel, and that is when we started getting leads which ultimately lead to us finding our baby” said Tamar.
“The fact that I was even on Middle Neck Road at that time was a matter of pure Hashgocho Protis, since I am usually in the camp office by then” said Yitzchok, adding “I was on my way home from attending a bris this morning, mamash Hashgocho Protis.”
When police searched the maid’s possessions, they found cans of baby formula – a two day supply – with the labels peeled off in an apparent attempt to hide that they were Cholov Yisroel and had Hebrew letters on them. The maid had also changed the baby’s cloths.
Baruch Hashem
This is insane!
k maker
how nerve racking!!!
Im relieved to hear everything is all right BH!!
Fearless leader
BH. This is a crazy story!!!!!!!
WOW
I konw the Chaymepours — worked for htem a few years back. Such sweet people! So terrifying what happened to them but BARUCH HASHEM BARUCH HASHEM!!! I had chills reading thet story the whole time…it was a miracle they found her so fast!!!
cher
boruch hashem that this story had a happy ending.this could have very easily had tbeen much much worse.
Baruch Hashem
Very very happy ending for something that could potentially have been chas vshalom with a different end to the story. Hashem yivorech es amo bashalom.
anonymous
B”H they were reinited with their child. what a horribly scary story.
to #5
BH. im sure we were all thinking along the same lines – no need to spell it out so bluntly :)
Boruch Hashem
What an insane story. Never trust a goy with your kids (I know this was not the case here, but it should be a warning for others).
The Chayempours are huge baalei Tzedakah’s. Perhaps their child was saved in this zechus.
Boruch Hashem!
People wake up!!!
It would have not had ended like Leiby chas vshalom since this was the LIVE IN MAID!!!. People trust other with their kids and its unsafe. I watch non jewish cleaning ladies/babysitters in the park they treat the kids like they are nothing, which they really are to them since they are not their own. You have kids take care of them don’t trust anyone besides your family for help.
Thank G-D
B”H! wow! its amazing how Hashem watches over his children…
Shiffy S.
oruch Hashem! So relieved to hear the wonderful ending to this traumatic story. May Hashem continue to look after you Tammy, your husband and family especially in the zechus of your Holy Shl;ichus work. Moshiach Now!!
dvdf
this is why we shouldn’t hire maids… and if yes, then at least watch the kids…..
malca b
bh she was found alive and well — bh for the rebbe’s brachas from the ohel
boruch hashem
Please change the headline to reflect the good outcome, BH!
Tammy is an amazing person – so happy to hear the happy ending.
chabad heart but sephardic
what else were you expecting the outcome to be?? you chabad people leave your communitty, your place of birth, your friends, in other to do an amazing and holy work! you saw how god was with you from the begining? amazing story, and a huge thang you to all chabad people god bless u all
Shliach
agree with #15… please change the headline asap…until i got to the end of the story readers will be thinking not good things, lo aleinu
cse
dvdf, I agree, but in this case, the parents were careful, so best not to make them feel worse
Anonymous
to number #10 and #13 read the article the maid was only a cleaning lady
L.A.nik
was shomrim or hatzolah involved
kerry
Thank God the baby was found safe n sound.
wake up Yidden - this is GALUS
1st of all BARUCH HASHEM the baby was returned safe and unharmed. **but** “she had not left Esti alone with her, and that she didn’t even know that she had left”
So even if you **never leave your child alone with the goy** in your home, YOU NEVER KNOW! she could still cv”s leave with your most precious posession without your knowledge. And maybe your husband won’t have the zchus of Eliyahu Hanavi walking home with him from a bris to save the situation.
Leiby HY’D ws a wake up call! Yet we are COLLECTIVELY still ASLEEP and STUPID enough to have goyim in our homes?
ylt homme
SHMULY UR THE BOMB
To # 18
Hashem ALWAYS watches over his kids, somnetime in ways we can’t comprehend.
to #20
She was a live-in-maid, not a cleaning ladyfor heaven’s sake! She was there 24/7. When the parents were busy with their shlichus; when the parents were asleep; when tatty was at work and mommy was bathing the older kids.
Who knows what she might have done R”L with the kids when no one was looking, what she fed them, what apikorsus nursery rhymes she sang to them.
Live-in maids are almost like family. You have to let your guard down with them. It’s the only way you can go to sleep at night knowing there’s a stranger prowling in your home!
Uh, Err, how can you go to sleep when there’s a stranger prowling in your home?
what a miracle
such a beautiful babay
her mazal should shine and bring only good things for her family
HELENA LESKEY
I AM JUST THINKING OF THE AGONY THIS COUPLE MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH.
BH THE END WAS GOOD.
ABOUT POOR LEIBEL KLESKY OBM, HE ASKED MANY PEOPLE IN BORO PARK FOR HELP AND THEY LOOKED THE OTHER WAY. THAT WAS THE TRAGEDY. THEN LO OLAINU HE ASKED THE ROSHO.
happy
thank hashem they had more brains then the police if they would have waited only g-d know. what they must have gone though B-H happy ending
DOOOST
BAROKH HASHEM ADONAY SHOMER ISRAEL
aunt
#16: your Ahavas Yisroel made this article all worth while. You see the wonderful and great positive side to Chabad.
May you be blessed with all the brachos which come to those who have such pure Ahavas Yisroel, and may we all have tremendous and pure Ahavas Yisroel!!
BH
hamalach hagoel osi mikol ra. WOW
just wondering
people who make comments about the goodness of the parents .???to what is this nogeah ???I am sure they are terrific but no one deserves to have their child kidnapped ….even the not the people who are maybe not so terrific
Anonymous
BARUCH HASHEM!! Hashem is truly great. The chayempours are such amazing people and Hashem performed a miracle in the zechut of all the chessed they do
In school with a Chayempour
Baruch Hashem! I go to school with rivky, the 10th grader in the family. That must have been freaky for her! Glad to hear the happy ending!
B H, and Good Lesson!
B”H for the positive outcome.
May we all take a lesson from this – the Rabbi’s diligence and unwillingness to assume everything was normal saved his baby. We should all be so diligent, not only with our own children, but our friends’ and neighbors’ as well.
Our children are sparkling gems, and must be protected as such.
BH
What a neis. The Chayempours are such wonderful people. Big baalei chessed
Mendy
Sabers to the rescue, good job:-)
curious one
I have a few thoughts here after reading the story as told here and the comments.
1) yes please change the headlines and allow us not to be in suspense as when watching a movie this is not a riddle to wait for the end to find out.
2) yes she was a live in maid not a baby sitter or anything else, Bur remember as all parents shlukim and others, she was there over the summer, as time goes by, even-though you don’t want her to take care of the children, in urgent times you will take advantage of here presents in the home. You will use her out for the things you need, in busy times as before the sabbath and what not, things get hectic and allow her to watch the kinds (not to go out side but in the home itself) and give you time to focus on your responsibilities.
3) i see comments are saying over and over again what kind of great wonderful genuine people these are, I don’t deny it or take issue with it, but rather, ask the question, “whats the difference?
in retrospect, if the parents were horrible obnoxious people, therefore they deserve it, therefore it would be OK for the maid to abduct the child, therefore it would be ad if we don’t need to show pity and or kindness to them when a tragedy happens,
yes it is great to hear that they are as they are, kindhearted people, but, for the story itself,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
but nevertheless its wonderful that things turned out the way they did, and bless them all for the future shall bring good happy and relaxed days for all of them
bless you all
Great Neck resident
It’s not because of goyim that this occurred ……. Remember what just happened in Brooklyn………..craziness is in all people …….you are not God and he would not like comments of prejudice…..
People wake up
When are ppl going to learn that you can’t trust a goy… Not to babysit and not to feed you child food who know what kind of food they are feeding them… Bottom line is a goy is a goy and you can’t trust them with yOur children!!!! WHATS WRONG WITH PPL
B H!
Boruch Hashem for the good outcome!
We really NEED moshiach to come already1!!
Hirschel Pekkar
BH. For sure they called the Ohel. Dovid Melech Yisroel chi vekayom.
annon.
It is possible, that if you treat everyone-including people who aren’t Jewish-with respect, that they would act in a way that it more trustworthy. To sit here and say that you “can’t trust a goy with your child” is ludicrous. There are good and bad people from every nation, religion, ethnicity, etc.
This woman clearly wasn’t in her right mind, she is clearly mentally unstable. There are plenty of Jews who are mentally unstable. Had all this happened, but it was a Jew, what would the thinking be then? That she didn’t really mean any harm? That’s it’s not her fault?
To have such an arrogant attitude is part of why there is so much antisemitism in the world. I, too, believe that HaShem is the one true Gd who runs this world. And I am able to believe in Him with all my heart without treating others like trash. When you treat people badly, speak badly about them, think badly about them, of course they will come to hate you. Wouldn’t you?
The police aspect of this story doesn’t surprise me at all. From everything I’ve heard and experienced, the Nassau County Police are relatively useless.
Great Neck Resident
Wow #40 !!!!! You are truly from the dark ages!!! What a shame!!!
Thanks and no thanks
#39: Thank you for not putting prejudice into this! #40: You show prejudice. No. thank you.
Peninah
Boruch HaShem Estsi is home safe!!
Jew, Goy, Human
#40—-What kind of remark is that about a goy? What if someone said this or that “is typical for a Jew! What can you expect?” I guess most of us have our prejudices, but we all also know that more than one Jew has done harm to another. It’s hard to face, but it is true. And we, most of us, know that more than one goy has done good to a Jew. So, maybe we can think about this. In the end the baby is safe, baruch hashem. I know that’s the point. I just wanted to share that the prejudiced comment gave me a negative feeling, one of frustration and dismay. Maybe we could think about this.
Julia Dickinson
The baby is safe & back with her parents…That is what is important.Is there a lesson to be learnt?I don’t think so.Parents hire all kinds of help.Domestic,child care,gardening etc etc.All of these employees have daily access to children.Just where do you draw the line between someone who you trust with your child,to someone who you do not?I do not believe children are at any greater risk from a non jewish person,or a jewish person.Intuition,friends advice,or,as a last resort police checks.In England,anyone applying for a position to work with children,has to go through a police check.maybe parents should hire through reputable agencies,instead of hiring the cheapest person available.Just a thought.
Julia Dickinson
The baby is safe & back with her parents…That is what is important.Is there a lesson to be learnt?I don’t think so.Parents hire all kinds of help.Domestic,child care,gardening etc etc.All of these employees have daily access to children.Just where do you draw the line between someone who you trust with your child,to someone who you do not?I do not believe children are at any greater risk from a non jewish person,or a jewish person.Intuition,friends advice,or,as a last resort police checks.In England,anyone applying for a position to work with children,has to go through a police check.maybe parents should hire through reputable agencies,instead of hiring the cheapest person available.Just a thought.
chaya levi
Strange that there is a string of attempeted kidnappings this summer. Let us all davven that Hashem should repeal this decree and all decrees against the Yidden. Let us all be safe and have a happy, healthy and sweet new year.
Sara
Baruch Hashem!!!!
Kayla
Baruch Hashem they found her,so insane!!!
Yael Liviem
Baruch Hashem the baby is safe and sound with this amazing family.
b h
we see the rebbe takes care of his children time and time again! thank you rebbe!
To #43 - Ironic
You speak of not treating others like trash in one sentence, and then trash talk the police in the next. I don’t know anything about the Nassau Co police, but I do know a double standard when I see it.
tamir
BH that nothing happened. This just shows that we all need to open our eyes and make sure we are always accounted for. Gd blesses a lot of people with many children but you also have to be able to fully take care of them to make something like this impossible to happen under your own eyes.
get rid of the goyishe live-ins
and the goyishe nannies
hemda
those miracles happens every second of our life, we just can’t see them, this one was just more obvious, every second God takes care of our children and guides us to do the right thing for them or to take the right step for them, If you trust Hashem, he will guide you, I am sure at all those moment God guided and helped the father to take every step to save his baby, that’s only because the Rabbi and his wife had full trust and bitachon to Hashem. if you have full trust on Him, He will be there for you every moment, or sometimes he say I want to see you doing it your self, to teach you a lesson, don’t get to proud of your yourself, all our success coming with his help and of course our Bitachon.
Baruch Hshem
J D L
BARUCH HASHEM BARUCH HASHEM We have all the chayempours in great neck and BARUCH HASHEM Esti is fine and back with her parents!!!
what a MIRACLE!
J D L MIRACLE
WHAT A MIRACLE BARUCH HASHEM BARUCH HASHEM!!! I LOVE ALL THE CHAYEMPOURS!!!!!
CrownHeightsgal
To #55:
You must understand the difference between racism, and having distrust of the police. These are two different things.
The level of racism in these comments disgusts me and makes me ashamed.
Was she arrested?
first of all,with regard to not trusting’goyim’, Levi Aron is a Jew.
Secondly, with all the talk to ‘call the police immediately when something happens’, clearly, you still need to take your own initiative.
And thirdly, was the cleaning lady arrested on kidnapping charges??? The article fails to tell us what happened to her. It only mentions that bh they got the baby back.
If anyone knows please clarify
concerned in MA
Hmmmnn….can’t trust a goy?
Does anyone remember Mumbai? The Holzberg’s trusted little Moshe with Sandra Samuel…an Indian nanny who was not Jewish..
Their trust, it turns out was well placed. She put herself at great risk to rescue him.
There are good and bad in all groups of people. May I remind you of Levi Aron?
Please, aim your anger at a partiular person & not be so quick to make blanket statements such as “all” are not to be trusted.
Nobody
There is way too much trust of cleaning help/nannies. The religious difference matters, for things like will they feed your children non-Kosher when you aren’t around, will they bring non-Kosher into your kitchen, will they speak to your children about non-Kosher ideas. These things matter, and it isn’t in the slightest discriminatory to say so – it is someone who explicitly has different values, expect them to bring that influence. You aren’t doing Mivtzoyim here, you are hiring help.
However, someone who is unstable, and decides to take your child as their own? That can happen from anywhere. There are no groups that are free of mentally unstable people, criminals, etc.
PROUD TO BE A JEW!!!
Thank god that this all ended well. im so happy that this miracle happened. Be carefull little Esti. God Bless the chayempors :).
Better safe than sorry
I have probably had about 7 different nannies from an agency that I use. Not once have I ever left any of my kids with them. I go supermarket shopping, they come with me, family/friends’ house, they come with me, to the park, they come with me, etc…
I DO NOT take my eyes off the nannies! Our kids are far too precious!
DO NOT leave your kids with people you don’t know! NOT SAFE! NOT WORTH IT!
awacs
“From everything I’ve heard and experienced, the Nassau County Police are relatively useless.”
Strike the word ‘relatively.’ :-)
Jewish dude
The maid was Jewish.
Jew Successfully Raised By Goyim
BH the outcome was positive.
Do you not paint with a VERY wide brush when you vilify all non-Jewish caregivers? Is the dehumanizing of others what Torah teaches?
Toda la’el for this outcome.
B’ezrat Hasem, may many of the respondent Chosen people learn tolerance.
ilana
what happened to the maid. i hope that she rotts in jail with her cold and malignant heart. i have children and thank god i never allowed my livin maids to walk my children outside. we should all enjoy our children every minutes and let the maid act like maids.
Alert
#44
Wake up and smell the rotten …..
What makes you so confident? You sure wouldn’t want to experience something like this. Better be safe than sorry.
thank the police
thank g-d esti is all right if not who knows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!