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12-Year-Olds Arrested for Yarmulka Snatching

Two 12-year-old boys were arrested earlier this morning after they accosted an 8-year-old Jewish boy and snatched his Yarmulka off his head and fled while laughing at the boy.

by CrownHeights.info

An 8-year-old Jewish boy was accosted by a pair of children on Sterling Street early Monday morning as he was walking to school. According to the victim, the two kids walked past him, then doubled back and snatched his Yarmulka off his head and ran away while laughing.

The boy returned home and told his mother what had taken place and she called 911 as well as Shomrim.

Together they conducted a search of the area and were unsuccessful in locating the pair, though police detectives were later able to identify the duo as students in the I.S. 61 Public School on Empire Boulevard and New York Avenue.

Once identified, the pair – who are both 12-years-old, were brought to the 71st precinct along with the school dean and the boys’ parents and were arrested and charged with grand larceny.

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38 Comments

  • Not ok on either end

    It’s definitely not ok that the boys yanked off the little one’s Kippah, and I think they definitely need a talking to. That being said, it’s also disgraceful how they were arrested. They’re kids-they shouldn’t be arrested unless they killed someone or something along those lines.

  • Result of black antisemitic hate preached to their children/students

    If everyone in C.H. voted, our elected officials would pressure the black “leaders” to stop.

    • Let Them Go

      The DA should let them go… but at least they’ll think twice before doing something like that again.

    • To " let them go"

      You say at least they’ll think twice.
      I’m telling you that if they are not severely punished, if their conscience wakes up and tells them don’t, they will think twice and say, ” why shouldn’t I? I’m just a kids. Nothing will happen to me. I’ll get to skip class, get a ride in a cop car and then get some compensation for being harrassed.
      Don’t let your mind warp.

  • Do you vote? No you don't!

    Well you’ll be glad to know that the district Attorney will let these kids scot-free.

  • Anonymous

    I have never heard of 12 year olds being arrested!!!! That’s ridiculous!!! They’re kids at the end of the day and need to be taught by their guardians!!!

  • Shimonshak

    12 yr olds arrested?? Come on. Why did they need to be arrested? Kids do dumb things….SMH

    • "Shimonshak"

      Easy for you to say until you’re the victim (which I hope you’ll never be).

      Are you really so removed from reality?

  • Retort

    To all those who commented that …oh they are just children or 12yr olds being arrested…. 73 yrs ago maybe you heard of them Hitler Youth Y”MS also pulled the yarmulkas off my uncles and by they way they then crushed their skulls…Stop truning the cheek

  • Milhouse

    On the contrary, it is right that they were arrested, but grand larceny?! A yarmulke costs $5-10, how can stealing it be grand larceny? There’s something very wrong with this story.

    • Seriously? "$5-10" ?

      Something’s very wrong with you if you don’t understand the massive problem with victimizing and traumatizing someone regardless of the item’s value.

    • Anonymous

      Something’s very wrong with you if you think that just because something is a “massive problem” you can just make up a charge, it doesn’t matter what.

      Regardless of the victim’s trauma, it is very strange for a state’s laws to allow the theft of such a small sum to be charged as grand larceny. It almost erases the distinction between grand and petty larceny.

    • To "Anonymous"

      Something’s very wrong with you if you’re making arguments to let the criminals off the hook without even knowing the legal definition of “grand larceny”. Perhaps you may wish to look it up before publicizing your disinterest in making Crown Heights safer and disregard for victims of crime.

  • r32mm

    could easily be that the parents are not doing any quality parenting, in which case the police have to do it.

  • Are you serious?!

    I don’t understand the shock the 12 year olds were arrested. Has anyone ever heard of juvenile delinquents?! Make no mistake about it, these 12 year old hoodlums may very well already be drinking, doing drugs and other things not mentionable on a family website. While of course they are still minors and should not be treated as adults they certainly should not be treated as innocent babes either! They need to learn that their actions have consequences. Unfortunately good chance they will not and will grow up to be the opposite of assets to society. Many career criminals start their “careers” at this age…

  • Milhouse

    Something’s very wrong with this story. How could they be charged with grand larceny? A yarmulke only costs $5-10.

    • It's not the money value, genious

      “Milhouse”, there’s something very wrong with your story if you don’t understand what’s wrong with victimizing and traumatizing someone regardless of the money value of the item.

    • Your comment is shocking Mr. "Milhouse"

      Sad that we have such thick headed people commenting.

    • Milhouse

      What do you mean “it’s not the money value”? Grand larceny by definition is about the money value. Charging it for the theft of such a small sum makes a mockery of it.

  • Grand larceny

    There are 11 different factors that qualify a theft as grand larceny in the fourth degree. Value of the item is one of them.
    Another one is “The property, regardless of its nature and value, is taken from the person of another”. Which means that NYC penal code considers stealing from ones person more severe regardless of value or age of the perpetrator.
    A simple google search could have answered that but it takes a little more effort than writing ignorant comments.

    • Milhouse

      New York’s law on this is very strange; I wonder whether there is any other state that so distorts and ignores the very definition of the term.

    • To "Milhouse"

      Please show where you looked up the NY law that you became such a big “Maven” in it, or where other states differ.

      I guess when “someone else” is the victim you try to find ways to let the criminals off the hook. Says a lot about you.

    • Milhouse

      Grand larceny is not a term the NY legislature made up, and they cannot change its definition. They can say (and apparently have said) that this can be charged in their state under that name, but they do not own the English language and cannot change the meaning of the term. By definition stealing a trivial amount is petty larceny. If NY chooses to make its laws defy the meaning of words, that’s its choice, but it’s very strange and nobody should be expected to know about it.

  • Crime and Punishment

    NY Penal Statute 155.15 Petite Larceny – for property under $1000.
    The Grand Larceny statute requires property relating to religious items over $100. Anyways, the rascals will go to Family Court and get a warning. I would rather see the perps go to the Jewish Children’s Museum to learn more about their Jewish neighbors. Just make sure no one is missing a wallet when they leave.

  • Josh L

    I completely agree that they should be arrested, taken to the precinct and go through the entire booking process.
    Do I think they should actually get a serious financial penalty or “time”? No. Going through that process and having these kids meet and apologize to the kids they stole the Yarmulkes from and visiting a Jewish school is fine.
    *But*
    It is important to show these kids at 12 years old that there are real repercussions to their actions before they get older and possibly move on to more serious trouble.
    We have seen many cases on this site of older teens doing worse actions and crimes and part of the reason is because they have grown accustomed to the idea that there will be no repercussions, there will be no punishment.

  • The kangeroo

    Milhouse is a great talmid-chochan and a extremely leasrned person.If your read him correctly he did not chalienge the fact that the guy should be arrested he questioned the application of the law.

  • Ahavasyisroel

    May seem tough to 12 year olds but there is a trend going on with all kinda of other more violent incidents these days and they have to realize there must be real consequences for also being part of this trend

  • To " let them go"

    You say at least they’ll think twice.
    I’m telling you that if they are not severely punished, if their conscience wakes up and tells them don’t, they will think twice and say, ” why shouldn’t I? I’m just a kids. Nothing will happen to me. I’ll get to skip class, get a ride in a cop car and then get some compensation for being harrassed.
    Don’t let your mind warp.