Shomrim Shine as Brooklyn Serial Silver Thief Caught

Following a tip from the Boro Park Shomrim, a Brooklyn man in his mid to early twenties was apprehended by police yesterday, hopefully bringing an end to a several week long rash of burglaries that involved Tens of thousands of dollars worth of valuable silver items.

“We know of more than twelve reported silver thefts that took place over the summer, including one of our own members,” Yanky Daskal of Shomrim told VIN News.

According to Daskal, Shomrim was able to identify the Ocean Parkway resident thanks to the clear video surveillance footage that they obtained from several of the homes that had been targeted.

“We showed his picture around and followed a few leads until we were able to identify the robber,” said Daskal. A discarded glove, which appeared to be the same type of glove worn by the burglar during the robberies, was found outside the suspect’s building. Shomrim members spent twenty seven hours on surveillance outside the suspect’s residence hoping to catch him in the act before deciding to turn the matter over to the police.

“Detectives told us that within five minutes he confessed to a few of the robberies,” reported Daskal.

Several of the items stolen had been sold to a silver store in Brooklyn, while others had been sold to a silver store in Manhattan. Police recovered an esrog box, a megilla case, and a menorah, valued at $30,000, stolen from the E5th Street home of Rabbi Yechezkel Zion last week from a Borough Park silver store this morning.

“He generally broke in to homes during the day or in the evenings, dressed in a white shirt, yarmulke and tzitzis in order to blend in better,” said Daskal. “He didn’t just take the larger, more valuable items. He would take every piece of silver he could find.”

The suspect, whose name has not been released and is currently in police custody is a member of Brooklyn’s Bucharian community. It is still unclear whether the suspect worked alone or with an accomplice.

Daskal credited the homeowner installed video surveillance systems for bringing a relatively quick resolution to the crime spree.

“It just goes to show how important and how valuable a surveillance system can be,” said Daskal.

Photos by Shimon Gifter for VIN News

Shomrim member Motty Perl displays Silver found at the incinerator at the building where the suspect lives.

Police recoverd at a local Silver store the Menorah belonging to Rabbi Zion.

Police reocver an Esrog box sold to a local Silver store in Borough Park.