Posted to Communal Matters, Crime on

Man Stalking Children Taken into Custody

A video that has gone viral showing a man in Lefferts Park behaving in a ‘creepy’ manner around children prompted a number of concerned parents to call Shomrim after observing the same man in the park once again today. He was taken into custody.

Shomrim received multiple calls on Tuesday afternoon alerting them that the man, seen in a video that has spread over social media on Sunday, is in Lefferts Park once again and behaving in a similarly creepy manner around children.

“I saw him walking around the playground and smiling at kids and getting very close,” one mother said.

Upon arriving in the park, Shomrim observed the man playing ball and engaging in conversation with some young kids. The volunteers kept an eye on the man while calling police, who arrived a few minutes later. When police asked for his name, the man became uncooperative and answered evasively.

The man appeared to be emotionally unwell and police took him into custody, informing bystanders that he would be taken to the psyche ward at a local hospital.

“Parents need to know that just because they are in a park their kids need to be in their sight at all times,” said a Shomrim spokesperson. “Even if there are other parents there, a child can very easily fall victim to a predator or an emotionally unwell person. Always, if you see something that troubles you, never hesitate to call 911 or Shomrim.”

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25 Comments

  • I went to yeshiva with him

    Wow!

    I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

    I truly hope he gets the help he needs.

  • Former Bochur

    The government woefully underfunds public mental health and people like this gentleman will end up costing the taxpayers far more money as they cycle through overcrowded hospitals and overcrowded jails.

    This November, please vote for city, state, and national candidates who will better fund treatment of the mentally ill, for our own good and the good of our communities.

  • park

    I see parents ,babysitters chatting without a clue where there kids are. I really think you cannot be too careful.

  • scary

    It’s scary how those kids didn’t seem fazed by this creep standing right nearby.

    • Everyday

      What’s to be fazed by? The kids probably see stuff like this every day.

    • Leah

      He is not a creep he has a mental illness and no family willing to support him. He is a very smart and kind person. With the right medication and support ($$$- being no option…)bc we are all valuable ppl…. he could be leading a very normal Jewish life.

  • Anonymous

    I know this guy. He is not a creep at all. He just needs some medical attention for whatever mental illness he may be dealing with.

    The kids weren’t creeped cause he isn’t a creep.

  • not nice

    it’s not nice to call this person names
    he is someone’s child -for sure he is Hashem’s child which makes him
    just as chashuv as the next person.
    I am sure if he were given the choice he would be thrilled to be fully functioning.
    what happened to Rachmanos?
    we are supposed to be a people with Rachmanos..

    • Leah

      Thank you for supporting him with your kind words he really is a nice guy…

  • Ironic

    Meanwhile the real abusers are passing as fine upstanding citizens. It’s not the wackos you need to worry about. It’s the ones who appear normal.

  • Ari

    I have seen this poor guy deteriorate mentally over time, he needs help more than anything else

    • Leah

      Does crown heights have any pushka’s set aside to help the mentally ill? Maybe someone could set up a go fund me acount. The system isn’t working so maybe private help?

  • a yid darf helf

    I hope that he gets the help he needs.
    I have met people in the mental health field who have said that Crown Heights is deficient in this field, and we can’t afford that.

  • cnl

    I think I saw him on Eastern Pkwy today. I hope i’m wrong and he’s getting the proper medical attention. He should still be monitored.

  • Brain

    The intellectual primitivity of some people here is unreal.

    For those who fail to comprehend: meet brain.

    Before believing what The Internet Said, an educated person will require a certain criteria of observable traits before knodding his head.

    First, in the medical feild, there is a concept known as *Sighns*. That would include spacific visible behavior that can be seen. Another concept we have is *Symptoms* which consist of the various explicit statements made by a paitent regarding his or her own complaints.

    Next, before a physician is able to reach a conclusion of what may be wrong, he seeks the council of an authoritative body of knowledge to find if there are any matches between Sighns and Symptoms of his client to that of established criteria.

    I have not found under “Sighns” nor “Symptoms” in the entire DSM-V an entry for the word “Creepy”. In fact, its non-medical meaning can be associated with a state of mind, feeling, and sensations experienced inside the head of a third-person – who may be the real problem – not that of our subject.

    In fact, given the baseless nature of the arrest, from a legal perspective, this persons behavior was 100 percent expected when he asked to know the reason why he was being arrested. The cops refused to answer, only to further harass by demanding identification.

    This is a case for even a Street Lawyer to home in on. This was handled with disgust, if not unprofessional.

    People, wake up. A yid, your own brother, has been hurt. To further belittle him is not only primitive but unacceptable from any civilized human standpoint.

    The blame in this case is squarely on the Police who failed to live up to their own professionalism: when it’s for of their own goyishe animal, “this is not a show”. But now that its one of their own, a dirty Jew, “Bring in the camera”. Pathetic.

    Yiden: learn to stand up for your own brother.

  • Esty B

    Hope he gets help so he can relate to people normally. Must be lonely to want to connect with people and not be able to due to mental health.

    Parents must put their children’s safety first, of course. But we should be compassionate too.

  • Helicopter Mom

    Wow I’m not going to let my mesivta boys go to the park or even Kingston Avenue, unless I’m called every five minutes. If it passes 6 minutes without a phone call, I call the police.
    I also keep a First Aid kit with me wherever I go, with enough BandAids, just in case something bad happens, Chas Vishulum. Hey, you never know.

  • The Street Lawyer

    He has every right to use that space.
    If you have a problem with fear, the help is on you, my friend – breath it slow.

    • Actually No...

      He was hanging around the playground area, which no adult is allowed without accompanying a child.

  • debbi

    The saddest part of all is… people think the ones we need to be afraid of and to keep our children away from are the people who look, in the incredibly insensitive words of this article, “creepy”. I’ll tell you what’s “creepy”. “Creepy” is rabbanim, and mechanchim who continue to protect their friends and colleagues who abuse children.