NEW SQUARE — A Truman Avenue man suffered severe body bruns early this morning when he fought off a village resident armed with a incendiary device during a fight over a simmering religious controversy, Ramapo police said.
Ramapo police said they later arrested 18-year-old Shaul Spitzer of Adams Lane on felony charges. He had serious burns to his hands and arms and has been hospitalized, police said.
The victim, 43, whose name is being withheld by the Journal-News, suffered burns to 50 percent of his body and remains hospitalized.
Police charged Spitzer with felony counts of first-degree attempted arson and first-degree assault, police said.
Other charges are possible, including attempted murder or possibly murder if the victim dies at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, police said.
Police said they are aware that the Truman Avenue family had been targeted before with violence and protests by religious zealots because the victim prayed outside the community's main synagogue used by the Skver Hasidic grand rabbi, the worldwide community's dynastic leader.
Police investigators said today that they have no evidence of any connection between today's attack at 4:12 a.m. and past incidents gainst the family and other dissidents in the community. The vacant upper floor of a Bush Lane house caught fire recently where another dissident family lived.
"I know there is a history there and we're aware of problems within the community," Ramapo Police Detective Lt. Mark Emma said today. "We have no evidence there is a connection. We're still investigating."
The Truman Avenue family installed surveillance cameras because of previous incidents at the house.
Just after 4 a.m. today, a young man living in the Truman Avenue house woke up his father after hearing people out on the porch, police said. Four people were in the house.
The family members began watching a security camera monitor when they saw a man later identified as Spitzer throw something onto their rear deck, Emma said.
Emma said the item turned out to be a rag soaked in flammable liquid.
The father and a son went outside, where the father confronted Spitzer, Emma said.
"Somehow — we're not sure yet — the victim's clothes caught on fire," Emma said. "He has severe burns to his face, arms, and chest."
The victim's son rolled his father on the ground to put out the flames, Emma said.
"The suspect fled the scene, but we were able to track him down" at 8:30 a.m., Emma said.
Rockland Paramedics Inc. and police found the victim sitting on the front steps of his house.
The suspect was taken to Nyack Hospital for the burns and later transferred to Cornell Medical Center in New York City, Emma said.
Ramapo police were later assisted by the Rockland Sheriff's Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation fie unit and the Rockland County Computer Crimes Unit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW SQUARE: This morning just before 5 Someone with a mask broke in to their house and sprayed his and his sons face with some chemical there face is burned from it and they are both in the hospital major police investigation going on full crime scene K9 was brought in Truman Ave is sealed off from traffic for more then 4 hours already.
NOW IN NEW SQUARE:
Chaim Aron Rottenberg is in hospital because bucherim tried burning his house and family. PD are arresting the bucherim for murder.
---------------------------------------------------------------
הלם בניו-סקווער • בחור ישיבה נעצר בשל ניסיון רצח
בחור ישיבה נעצר לאחר שהצית את ביתו של תושב ניו-סקווער, המסרב להתפלל בבית הכנסת המרכזי של החסידות • האיש אושפז במצב קשה - ובחור הישיבה שתועד במצלמה - נעצר
העיירה ניו-סקווער שליד מונסי שבמדינת ניו-יורק סוערת: בחור ישיבה נעצר הבוקר לאחר שהצית את ביתו של ר' חיים אהרון רוטנברג - תושב ניו-סקווער המסרב להתפלל בבית הכנסת המרכזי של החסידות, ומתעקש - בניגוד לרצון האדמו"ר - להתפלל בבית-כנסת אחר, הממוקם בבית אבות שבשולי השכונה.
הבוקר ניסה בחור ישיבת סקווער להצית את הבית - כנקמה על כך שרוטנברג אינו נשמע לאדמו"ר, לטענתו - בשעה שבני הבית נמו את שנתם.
ר' חיים אהרן רוטנברג נשרף בידיו ובחלקי גופו והוא מאושפז בבית חולים במצב קשה מאוד. הרופא הראשי של בית החולים מנצ'סטר, שם אושפז רוטנברג, אומר כי "אם הוא יהיה חזק בחמשת הימים הקרובים - הוא יצליח לשרוד"
מצלמה במעגל סגור שפעלה בבית תיעדה את האירוע, והמשטרה עצרה את בחור הישיבה, שנראה בסרט הוידיאו כשהוא מצית את הבית.
תושב ניו-סקווער אומר ל'בחדרי חרדים': "מדובר בטרוריסטים שפועלים על דעת עצמם ואין להם שום גיבוי של האדמו"ר". לדבריו, קומץ הטרוריסטים שמורכב מבחורי ישיבה החליט לקחת את החוק לידיים, וכי כבר בעבר הם הטרידו וניסו לפגוע ברוטנברג.
בעקבות כך התקין רוטנברג מצלמה נסתרת, וזו נמסרה היום לידי המשטרה ולידי ה'שריף' של ניו-סקווער - חסיד סקווער.
דובר המשטרה אמר, כי הצעיר מואשם בהצתה ובתקיפה בכוונה תחילה ובניסיון רצח - והעיירה החסידית סוערת.
אותו מקור בעיירה אמר כי בעיירה קיימת תקנה, לפיה חייבים כל תושבי המקום להתפלל בבית הכנסת המרכזי של החסידות.
לפני מספר שנים הוקם בית אבות בשולי השכונה, ובו פעיל בית-כנסת. מספר תושבים החליטו להתפלל בבית הכנסת זה. אלא שאז יצאה הוראה נוספת, לפיה אסור לתושבי השכונה להתפלל בבית הכנסת בבית האבות.
רוטנברג וחבריו לא הסכימו להיכנע לטרור ולשרלטנות, והמשיכו להתפלל בבית האבות.
פעולת התגמול הגיעה היום.
It was only a matter of time before murder became part of the frumma package of acceptable practice
ReplyDeletePolice said they are aware that the Truman Avenue family had been targeted before with violence and protests by religious zealots because the victim prayed outside the community's main synagogue used by the Skver Hasidic grand rabbi, the worldwide community's dynastic leader.
ReplyDeleteReports are still very vague,but reports are coming in that a young yesivah boy of New Square attempted to burn down a house in New Square this morning. There were 4 people sleeping in the house. The owner of the house refuses to pray in New Square and prays in Freidwald, a nursing home outside the community. This was done to teach him a lesson.The victim Chaim Aaron Rottenberg had to be hospitilized with 3rd degree burns.There is confidential information that the surveillance video tapes were handed over to the Chassidishe Sheriff Koenig, if that's in fact true, then according close to the investigation that the tapes "may disappear."
ReplyDeleteObviously with whats going on in the "real" world, has influence on the frum world.
ReplyDeleteI'm embarrassed to say: I live in this crazy "New Square." This terror hasn't started today. There were always splashing windows, blackmail people, extortion, and much more to good people that wanted to live peacefully. Shame to you RELIGIOUS (?) NEW SQUARE!!!!!
ReplyDeleteהציבור מתבקש להתפלל עבור חיים אהרן בן חיה שרה לרפואה שלימה
ReplyDeleteThere is an official rule from the founding Skver Rabbi that everyone should Daven in the Main Beis Medresh. A few years ago a Minyan was started in Friedwald Nursinghome, OUTSIDE the community - which is according to the rule. The community decided that this is a threat (meaning ppl would start going there), so they made a new law, that Davening in this place is forbidden. When the participants didn't obey, they started all kinds of terror tactics to get them to obey. Happenes to be that this attempt to burn down this house did not workout. You can rest assured that if it would workout well, and the house would be down in ashes the community leaders wouldn't even blink - if nobody would be caught. In the past there were windows shattered and tires flattened on a regular basis. I hope this will serve as a wakeup call. The problem here is, that politicians turn a blind eye because they love the block-vote the Skver provides every time.
ReplyDeleteSTOP THE TERROR NOW!
ReplyDeleteBTW Rottenberg tried selling his house and move out, but the guys did not let him sell it for the full amount since he went to daven at the home
ReplyDelete