Three Thieves Apprehended by Shomrim

Three thieves, in two separate incidents, were arrested as a result of the hard work and vigilance of Shomrim volunteers in the span of 30 minutes yesterday, Sunday evening, in Crown Heights.

At around 4:15pm, Shomrim received a frantic call from a 13-year-old Yeshiva student walking up Brooklyn Ave. from Maple Street towards East New York Ave. that he was being chased by a group of African-American teenagers, one of whom was holding a ‘2 by 4’ plank of wood (see video below).

Shomrim volunteers were at the scene in under a minute, and kept a watchful eye over the group, while escorting the Jewish boy to safety.

While observing the group, Shomrim volunteers watched as they stole a bicycle from behind a Jewish home. The volunteers immediately called the police, then confronted the group and retrieved the stolen bicycle.

Police arrived shortly thereafter, summoned the teenagers – most of them around the age of 15 – and gave them a stern warning that any further acts of theft, intimidation or vandalism will lead to their arrest.

Barely five minutes after the group was allowed to go on their way, a 10-year-old non-Jewish girl approached the officers and Shomrim volunteers and said that her two bicycles had been stolen.

Remembering that the group they had just dismissed had two bikes among them that fit the exact description the girl gave, the cops and Shomrim volunteers immediately set out to find the group once again.

Soon thereafter, the two teenagers on the allegedly stolen bicycles – one boy and one girl – were arrested by police. The police discovered that the 15-year-old boy already had two prior arrests on his record.

One Bust Leads to Another

While they were canvassing the neighborhood searching for the bicycle thieves, two Shomrim volunteers spotted another theft in action. They observed as an adult Hispanic male stole several electric safety lights from the bicycles of students of Oholei Torah Mesivta, which were parked in front of the Yeshiva building on Troy Ave.

The volunteers observed the perpetrator as he filled his backpack with the stolen items, then made his way down Troy Ave., oblivious that he was being watched and followed.

The volunteers then called other police officers to the scene, who confronted the man inside a bodega on East New York and Schenectady Aves.

After searching his backpack and finding the stolen items, the man was placed under arrest and taken down to the 71st Precinct for booking, where the volunteers helped with the filing of a criminal report.

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15 Comments

  • OUTRAGED!

    these kids are not just juveniles looking to steal some bikes,they were chasing a 13 year old kid with an deadly weapon intending to harm, why were they let off with just a warning.
    could you imagine if they would catch him and attack him, i feel very safe with this cop.

  • lifelight

    B”H for Shomrim!!! Sad that we need them, but if we don’t help ourselves (and others) who will? Hashem, the Shomer Yisroel, has provided excellent shluchim for our protection.

  • Career Criminal

    The boy who stole the bicycle looks like he is starting off his career as a lifelong criminal. He looks like he has no shame for what he did or for being caught.

  • B"H

    So glad they were caught, but we need tougher penalties and reform for “youth” offenders. 2nd arrest at 15? So sad.

  • fudge the stern warnings

    Reading glasses that police give a stern warning makes me cringe. We are breading thugs that way.

  • AGAIN AND AGAIN

    here we go again, we have had our weekly (attempted) attack by our wonderful neighbors!
    .

  • Levy

    Hey just like weed everybody is stealing, just give them a ticket a let them go. Right de Blasio ?
    Who cares anymore!

  • its a game

    For them it’s like a game, in and out of jail. Like “ok, you got me this time, I lose, maybe next round I’ll win”. They have no fear of the justice system, which means we have to toughen the penalties.

  • fergusen

    Fearful of the backlash from the soon to announced fergusen decision. Either way we ought to plan for the worst.