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Woman Apprehended for Stealing at a L’Chaim

Brooklyn, NY –- Monday night amidst a L’chaim taking place in the Jewish Childrens Museum a few of the participants noticed they were missing some of their personal belongings, and after a quick search they found it to be in the possession of a Jewish woman who was attending the event herself but was not related to any of the families.

Police were called and the woman quickly admitted to what she had done and offered to return the items, which she did. Police asked the victims if they wanted to press charges against the woman to which they all refused but requested she be escorted from the building. Other participants who witnessed the incident said that this woman was known for such incidents in the past and that she has a compulsive stealing problem (also known as Kleptomania).

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25 Comments

  • Double standard?

    We need a picture of the woman, not the back of her head. Just because she is jewish or a “Fragile jewish woman” as they are all treated, does not mean we should show her picture so we all know who to be carefull of.

    If it where a gentile woman or even a man you would show the perps face

  • Sad

    I hope that’s not a picture of the thief. I really don’t want to be able to identify her. Even though I believe in justice for all, does HER family have to be humiliated? Hide away your possesions, storekeepers be on the alert, and somebody…GET THIS WOMAN PSYCHIATRIC HELP!!

  • concerned

    that is one of those tragic issues that doesnt need to be. Our own people should know to get help when some issue of theirs is out of control. I know that we don’t want others to know our problems, but if we wait long enough, everyone will know somehow or another, and then we find its harder on everyone. Nobody wins. We all need to get the help that we can.
    Having Ahavas Yisroel also gives people the confidence and support that might help them to get help.
    this is not so easy to stop, but it is possible to get help, where other issues are not so easy.

  • concerned

    If people don’t press charges she’ll just keep stealing. By them not pressing charges against her, they are condoning her actions. What if she was stealing IDs and ruining their lives? Just escorting her out of the building is taking the easy way out, and setting up someone else for ruin.

  • Curious?

    If she has a family, I believe that circumstances may change to protect them but…

    What message does this send to the law enforcement? Do we want crime solved or not?

  • elchonon

    You guys are obviusly out of touch with reality.. she is a kleptomaniac according to the article.. its a disease that causes people to steal on impulse.

    Pressing charges is against halacha, its a situation that is beyond her control, like a tinok shenishbra..

    I dont know how much doctors can help, the only thing to do is be carefull.

  • FOR OUR PROTECTION

    I can understand not wanting to press charges against another yid. but at least if we could see who she is we could protect ourselves from this experience and she will know tht she is recognized. That is as much a punishment as pressing charges.

  • What is the Halacha?

    I wish someone knowledgeable in Halacha (A Rov, perhaps) would write what the Halacha is in such a case. Does the community have an OBLIGATION to turn her in and press charges so as to uphold law and order and deter future thievery. It seems that this should be the case, regardless of if the woman is Jewish or not. Unfortunately, most Rabbanim will not be reading this….

    Can someone please advise, as it raises an important question.

  • Boruch ben Tzvi HaKohaine Hoffinger

    Kleptomania, shleptomania, if her Ahavas Yisroel were stronger she would control her impulses and seek help.

  • Chelmite

    Cant we be alert without seeing her face? We know that it is now reality, just beware for yourself, your friends and for the poor lady.

  • True, But

    There is two ways to look at it, to condemn this woman to punishment, or, to not judge until you are in her shoes. Both ways are right, and wether she is bound by an illness or responsible for her actions is a philosophical argument that traces back to the core of our nature of Chesed and Guevara.
    Those of us who stand up for whats right will demand that this woman bear the consequences, arguing that an adult is responsible for his or her actions, and thats true. Then there are those of us who are ahead of the game know to leave it up to g-d and only feel sorry for her suffering. We must remember that our faith is based on the principles of Ahavas Yisroel, regardless of the wrong doings of others, that is between them and G-d, and is not our business. True, Adam Muad Leolam, but the only business we have is to help.

  • concerned

    maybe thats where our coats have all been going. several times we put our coats on racks in the shul or a hall, and we never get them back. *sigh*.
    hope she gets a refuoh shleima from her illness. It needs psychiatric AND psychological help, PLUS Ahavas Yisroel.
    She must be scarred from childhood, but she needs to get the help. We all benefit from another yid getting help. as someone said “when one yid gets help, its a Win/Win….we all win”.
    Ahavas Yisroel is what WE can do. Even if we do it for another yid and not this lady, it still reaches her, and others!

  • CHT

    I cannot understand those who ask for picture. Don’t you see that this is an old lady that wears sneakers with pantolones on Simchos. So if you go on simcha and see a lady that wears snickers with pantolones – beware. Is not this that simple.

  • Crownheights.info = Slanted Journalism

    I resent the people in our community. I know that if I where the one who committed the crime of theft, you would all be condemning me and my picture with the heading “CRIMINAL” would be posted since I am a man. A woman committed this crime and so she is not held accountable. People make excuses that she is ill. If she is ill, she is still responsible for her actions.

    If she were a shvartzeh woman, you would post her picture and all of the anonymous quibblers would be condemning her.

    In short, you are sexist and racist and your double standard journalism is equivalent to the double standard journalism of the New York Times.

  • anonymous

    you guys are all nuts! there is NO need for her picture to be posted; unless of course you’re all soo curious that you have to see it. with G-d’s help she’ll be helped and there is no need to embaress a Lubavitcher family in public. Which is btw Halachically as if you’re killing someone so it is better for theft to occur than for many others to be guilty of killing.

  • To:Crownheights.info = Slanted Jrnlism

    I don’t think this has anything to with sexism but you raise a point on racism.

    Is our community founded on bigotry? Do we treat a crime differently depending on the skin color or background of the perpetrator?

  • Just me

    “We” don’t need to see her picture although all of the people in chage of “security” at such venues should.

  • CHT

    to Crownheights.info = Slanted Journalism

    There are few angles to look at things. You say this is racism. I say this is brotherhood.

  • Grammar Wiz

    And who uses the word “pantaloons” anymore… It is 2007 and they are pants.

    :-) It seems some people in Crown Heights need a grammar lesson and spell check.

    :-)