Yeshiva World News

Police say early morning gunfire struck a school bus in Washington Heights. There were no children on board.

The NYPD says the bus driver was not injured.

It happened around 6:30 a.m. Monday on 164th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.

Police say the shots were fired from an unknown direction.

There are no arrests.

(AP)

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) announced that consequences continue to escalate for those who park commercial vehicles illegally along 21st Ave. in Boro Park. Last night, the NYPD’s 66th Precinct continued both towing and booting the tires of illegally parked commercial vehicles, including the many tractor trailers that community members have complained of.

“There’s been a continuing effort to protect the community by ticketing, towing and booting these illegally parked vehicles,” said Hikind. “My sincere thanks to Captain Kenneth Quick of the 66th Precinct and his many officers who are taking this situation very seriously and have provided additional patrols in the area at night. Our community is very appreciative. I will remain in contact with the residents and the police to make certain that this matter is fully resolved.”

Hikind also thanked Misaskim for lending the NYPD light towers to aid in this operation and create a safer environment for residents.

(YWN Desk – NYC)

Councilman David G. Greenfield announced today that his muni-meter legislation, which allows drivers to pre-pay New York City’s muni-meters one hour before the meter regulations go into effect, is now active in much of New York City and will be fully rolled out by next week – Wednesday, July 1st.

It’s a typical Monday morning and you just pulled up to the Doctor’s office for your 8:30 a.m. appointment. The problem? It’s 8:15 a.m.and you know that you will get a ticket when the meter regulations turn on at 8:30 a.m.. Greenfield’s law forced the City to reprogram all of its muni-meters so you can purchase the muni-meter ticket at 8:15 a.m.but it will say 8:30 a.m. as the start time – in essence allowing you to pre-pay muni-meters in New York City. Councilman Greenfield’s law, local law 49 of 2013, passed the City Council on June 13, 2013. Because of the complexities involved, Greenfield’s law gave the City two years from July 1, 2013 to change the muni-meter machines to accept pre-payment. The city has already re-programmed many muni-meters including ones in Greenfield’s Boro Park neighborhood. All of the city’s muni-meters will be reprogrammed by this July 1st.

“I am thrilled that muni-meters citywide will finally allow you to prepay one hour before the meter rules go into effect. This is a common sense law: it saves drivers both time and money. Now, drivers can feed the meters before they go into work or appointments and avoid a parking ticket for no reason. I am proud to be leading the fight to reduce unnecessary parking tickets for drivers in New York City.”

Greenfield law also makes two other improvements to muni-meters. First it forces meters to shut off and not accept payment when the driver is not required to pay for parking like in the evening and second it does not accept payments when a muni-meter runs out of paper needed to print muni-meter tickets. “These two additional improvements will guarantee New Yorkers don’t get ripped off when using muni-meters,” Greenfield explained. “After all, if you lose a dollar worth of quarters in the meter because it ran out of paper, it’s almost impossible to get the city to give you your money back.”

Councilman Greenfield has long led the effort to make life for drivers a little bit easier. Greenfield co-sponsored the the law that allows drivers a five-minute grace period before they can be ticketed for muni-meter violations to allow them time to get to and from the muni-meter. Additionally, Greenfield wrote the law ending the difficult-to-remove neon window stickers for alternate-side parking violations. Greenfield is also a proponent of Vision Zero and has worked with the Department of Transportation to make driving safer for all New Yorkers.

(YWN Desk – NYC)

Federal prosecutors are asking that disgraced former congressman Michael Grimm be sentenced to up to 2 ½ years in prison after he pleaded guilty to tax fraud.

Grimm, a Republican, is the former U.S. Representative for Staten Island. He pleaded guilty in December, before he was set to go on trial in Brooklyn federal court on charges of evading taxes by hiding more than $1 million in sales and wages while running a Manhattan health-food restaurant.

His defense estimated the appropriate sentence as between 12 and 18 months. Grimm is scheduled to be sentenced July 17. He had been charged with 20 counts in the scheme but pleaded guilty to one.

Grimm resigned in January after winning re-election. He was replaced by Daniel Donovan, the former District Attorney for Staten Island, also a Republican.

(AP)

New York lawmakers have largely stayed true to Albany’s reputation for procrastination and back-room dealing despite corruption scandals that highlighted its insider culture.

The Legislature planned to adjourn last week but is still working out a deal on one of the year’s biggest issues, the renewal of New York City’s rent regulations. They briefly expired last week when lawmakers couldn’t agree on an extension.

The six-month session was especially challenging to its new leaders, Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Leader John Flanagan. Both took over after the arrests of their predecessors threw the Legislature into turmoil.

Despite the turmoil, Albany’s way of doing business remains intact. Lawmakers largely ignored calls to overhaul campaign finance and ethics rules, while negotiations on the year’s biggest issues are still held behind closed doors.

(AP)

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) says that the traffic conditions caused by sanitation pick-ups conflicting with school bus runs in the morning will hopefully be resolved before the new school year.

“One of the biggest local concerns is the traffic problem caused by sanitation pick-ups during rush hour, when yeshiva school buses are also doing pick ups,” Hikind explained. “I have remained in constant contact with NYC Department of Sanitation officials regarding potential solutions and now one is near at hand. We expect to release the details shortly and I am certain this will improve the quality of life for our residents and their children who have been impacted by this growing problem.”

NYC Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia and her top brass have had several meetings with Hikind, who has relentlessly pushed this concern for many months while also working closely with representatives of the community’s bus drivers.

“Our community is genuinely unique in terms of this issue,” Hikind explained. “Thank G-d our families have many children and there are many schools, each with their own buses. But our buses are delayed when sanitation pick-ups occur simultaneously. The traffic situation becomes a nightmare and everyone, including the children, are unfairly burdened.

“I am certain that the solution that the Department of Sanitation will deliver, and which will be here in time for the new school year, will make all parties very happy. And I’m delighted to share this information with our community as they prepare for the summer months.”

Hikind had the highest praise for Commissioner Garcia and her team for working so hard toward a solution.

(YWN Desk – NYC)

The search for two killers landed Saturday in New York’s southern tier near the Pennsylvania border, about 350 miles from the prison where they escaped two weeks ago.

New York State Police spokesman Beau Duffy said officers were investigating a possible sighting of the prisoners in Allegany County near the Pennsylvania border.

A person spotted two men Saturday near a railroad line that runs along Route 20 in the town of Friendship, state police said, and police concentrated the search in the area along the route and Interstate 86.

David Sweat and Richard Matt escaped June 6 from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, near the Canadian border. The two broke out of the maximum-security prison using power tools and leaving behind dummies under bedcovers in their adjoining cells.

A door-to-door search involving up to 800 law enforcement officers has been underway since then, concentrated in a several-mile radius of woods and fields around the prison in the Adirondacks.

State police moved the search command post from the prison Saturday to nearby Cadyville and focused attention on the other side of the state. They advised the public to report any suspicious activity and asked residents who live in the Friendship area along the New York-Pennsylvania border to be on alert.

The two men are “very dangerous” and should not be approached, state police said.

Several roads around Friendship were blocked off and police used helicopters and search dogs in the hunt. Resident Darryl Ross told The Leader newspaper he was securing his property.

“I was a little concerned. You have these guys running around. You don’t know where they are,” Ross said. “I have a house with a big cellar and a big garage. I cleared the house. I had firearm protection.”

Authorities said Friday that two men fitting the description of Sweat and Matt had been seen a week ago in Steuben County, east of Allegany County. Two men were seen walking near a rail yard in Erwin on June 13, and then seen the next day in Lindley, New York, heading toward the Pennsylvania border.

Investigators conducted interviews in both communities and sent surveillance video to Albany for further analysis.

Sweat, 35, was serving a life sentence without parole for killing a sheriff’s deputy. Matt, 48, was doing 25 years to life for the 1997 kidnap, torture and hacksaw dismemberment of his former boss.

Prison worker Joyce Mitchell remained in custody Saturday on charges she helped the two men escape by providing them hacksaw blades, chisels and other tools. She has pleaded not guilty.

Officials said a corrections officer also has been placed on administrative leave as part of the investigation into the men’s escape. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said no additional information was available.

(AP)

The U.S. Marshals Service has added David Sweat and Richard Matt to its 15 Most Wanted fugitives list.

Sweat was serving a life sentence for the murder of a Broome County Sheriff’s Deputy in July 2002. Matt was serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the murder of a man he beat and dismembered in December 1997.

“The agency’s 15 Most Wanted Fugitive list is reserved for the worst of the worst,” said U.S. Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton. “There is no question David Sweat and Richard Matt fall into this category. While their brazen prison escape has left the public on edge, it has only ignited our sheer determination to bring them back to justice. Together with our law enforcement partners, the Marshals will work tirelessly to ensure the threat they pose and their run from the law is short lived.”

New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico said, “These dangerous men will be brought to justice. We want to assure the public that all available assets are being used to locate Richard Matt and David Sweat. The U.S. Marshals Service’s MOST WANTED list is yet another way to notify the public of this escape and generate new leads. We want to thank our state, federal and local law enforcement partners, who continue to provide much needed manpower, equipment and expertise for this effort. We will continue to work together, collectively and collaboratively, until these two men are found.”

“We are absolute in our commitment to apprehend these dangerous escapees and will leave no stone unturned with the help of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners during this fugitive investigation,” said Northern District of New York U.S. Marshal David L. McNulty. “Sweat and Matt have violent criminal histories and pose a significant threat to anyone who may come in contact with them.”

For each escapee, the U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading directly to his apprehension.

The State of New York is also offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of inmates Matt and Sweat

Anyone with information is urged to contact the New York State Police at 518-563-3761 or 1-800-GIVETIP (1-800-448-3847).

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Eight months after a prominent Jewish leader, Kings Bay Y executive director Leonard Petlakh, was assaulted outside Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn following an exhibition game between the Nets and a team from Tel Aviv, Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) is commending Kings County District Attorney Ken Thompson for his decision to indict the man arrested in the attack for a hate crime.

“The D.A.’s action sends a strong message that crimes motivated by hatred and bigotry will not be tolerated and will, in fact, result in harsh consequences for those foolish enough to commit them,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said.

The suspect, Shawn Schraeder, left Petlakh with a broken nose and severe lacerations in the October 7, 2014 attack, which took place in front of Petlakh’s two young sons. Schraeder was part of a group of anti-Israel protestors that reportedly disrupted the game and, afterward, let loose a barrage of anti-Semitic slurs including “You are child murderers.”

Schraeder was arrested 10 days after the attack, on October 17th, and charged with assault in the third degree. At the time, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said he found the omission of a bias charge “extremely disturbing” and asked D.A. Thompson to investigate.

Following a lengthy investigation, the district attorney began grand jury proceedings and today announced a hate crime charge against Schraeder as part of the six-count indictment.

“Many thanks to Brooklyn D.A. Thompson for pursuing this investigation and finding just cause to charge the suspect not just for the assault but for the anti-Semitic hatred that both precipitated and accompanied it,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. “There is ample evidence that Mr. Schraeder did not attend the game as a spectator but as an instigator turned thug, and he deserves the harshest penalty the law allows for this type of crime.”

“From the very beginning there was no doubt that the perpetrators of these cowardly attacks meant to single out Leonard Petlakh and his family as Jews and supporters of Isreal, and I want to thank Kings County District Attorney Ken Thompson and his staff for pursuing the indictment of a felony hate crime assault,” said Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein. “Leonard Petlakh is not only a friend of mine and a true asset to our community, but, ironically, has dedicated much of his time to the advancement of peaceful and productive multi-cultural relations and outreach. This attack upon him in front of his children was a great blow to the community and these indictments will hopefully stop the growing anti-Israel, anti-Semitic sentiment that we have seen in different forms in our City, Nation and across the globe. Thank you to the DA Thompson for sending a clear message: violent acts of intolerance and hate will be met with swift and appropriate justice”, concluded Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein.

(YWN Desk – NYC)

[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Late Thursday night, at around 11:45PM, a Jewish man was assaulted by three perpetrators on Bay 25th Street (between Healy and Bayswater) in the Far Rockaway section of Queens.

The man was assaulted as he walked down the street. The victim was randomly punched and shocked with a stun-gun.

Immediately after the attack, the victim activated the 911 system and then called the RNSP (Shomrim) 24/7 Hotline.

RNSP patrol units responded swiftly and spotted the perpetrators a few blocks away. They maintained a visual of the trio until police arrived.

The victim ID’d all three men to police.

NYPD officers recovered the stun-gun from the bag of one of the perpetrators and they arrested all three of them for gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Far Rockaway Hatzolah was on the scene and treated the victim for his injuries. he was in stable condition.

The RNSP thanks the great job by the “101 Midnight Tour and the 101 Anti-Crime Unit”.

[By Judith Dinowitz]

Agudath Israel is pleased to announce that 9 million dollars of New York State funding for security equipment – approximately $20 per child – will be allocated to nonpublic schools, as promised, very soon.

This grant, the Nonpublic Safety Equipment Fund, is part of the SAFE Act, passed by the New York State legislature in 2013. The schools have been waiting for this money, which they can use to buy high tech video cameras, intercoms, remote electronic door unlatching systems, and many other state-of-the-art security tools.

Funding approved for the schools in 2014-15 was delayed, and Mrs. Deborah Zachai, director of Agudath Israel’s Yeshiva Services Division, and other advocates at Agudath Israel have been working behind the scenes with state officials to hasten the process. The goal is that these grants get to the schools in time for them to install potentially life-saving safety equipment before September and the start of the 2015-16 school year.

This week, Mrs. Zachai received notification that the funds are coming soon. She was pleased to hear that the New York State Education Department accepted her recommendation and is releasing funds for two years at once — the 4.5 million dollar allocation for 2014-15 and another 4.5 million for 2015-16.

“Security is such an important issue for nonpublic schools, especially for yeshivas, which can be a target of anti-semitic and terrorist threats,” said Mrs. Zachai. “Grants like these help schools afford high tech equipment that they wouldn’t be able to pay for on their own, so they can keep our children safe.”

Rabbi Reuven Lefkowits, Administrator at Talmud Torah Ohr Moshe in Brooklyn, is immensely grateful to Agudath Israel and state legislators for the funding that provided his school with a high-end sophisticated video system. The equipment, installed in summer of 2014, was helpful this week in catching three teenagers who had vandalized the school over the weekend, breaking a window and spraying graffiti on the walls and on a school bus that said, “Jews – Get out!” With the zoom-in features of the video cameras, police were able to catch and arrest the culprits.

“This grant helps the community and keeps everybody safe,” said Rabbi Lefkowits. “Without those videos, there was no way to know who had done this, and they’d still be walking around. Mrs. Zachai and Agudath Israel worked very hard, pushing to help get this money passed through in Albany, and we’re all in their debt.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)

The following is via Breaking911.com:

On Thursday, June 18, 2015, at approximately 12:39AM, police officers responded to a 911 call of a dispute between two groups of males at 140 Park Hill Avenue, in Staten Island – within the confines of the 120th Precinct.

Upon arrival officers observed 2 groups of males engaged in a dispute, in which a shot was fired. The three officers in plain clothes, assigned to the 120th Precinct anti-crime team identified themselves and attempted to engage the groups which separated and fled in different directions. The officers pursued one of the males, who turned towards the officers, armed with a firearm and discharged a shot at the officers. All three of the officers fired their service weapons at the suspect who fled the scene into 145 Park Hill Avenue.

An immediate canvass and search was conducted for the suspect with negative results.

The officers were transported to the Richmond University Medical Center for medical evaluation where they were treated and released.

There are no arrests at this time and the investigation is continuing.

(Source: Breaking911.com)

The speaker of the New York state Assembly says lawmakers are “nowhere near a resolution” on extending New York City’s lapsed rent regulations.

Democratic Speaker Carl Heastie of the Bronx says Thursday that talks between the Assembly, the Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo continue but that no compromises have been found.

The rent rules expired Monday after lawmakers failed to agree on the extension. Assembly Democrats want the rent protections strengthened while Senate Republicans want to require income verification checks to ensure tenants are eligible to get the benefit.

The showdown has forced lawmakers to postpone the adjournment of the 2015 session, which was scheduled to end Wednesday.

Lawmakers say they hope to finish their work Thursday or Friday to prevent the session from going into another week.

(AP)

The NYPD has just shot an armed man dead in Brooklyn.

According to initial information, a man armed with a knife attacked an NYPD Officer at West 1st Street and Seabreeze Avenue in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn at around 1:15PM, Thursday afternoon. The officer returned fire, hitting the perp. The officer was stabbed in the neck.

The incident reportedly occurred on a Subway platform.

The officer was rushed to Lutheran Trauma Center with a police escort. The suspect was taken to Coney Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Thee condition of the officer is unknown.

(Source: Breaking911.com)

The lawyer for the man whose wife is charged with helping two convicted murderers escape from a maximum-security New York prison says his client was “blown away” by revelations that she talked to the inmates about having them kill her husband after they broke out.

Attorney Peter Dumas told NBC’s “Today” show that Lyle Mitchell is still in shock from his wife Joyce’s arrest on charges alleging she provided tools that helped David Sweat and Richard Matt break out of Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora nearly two weeks ago.

Dumas says Lyle Mitchell is cooperating with police and there’s no indication he’ll be charged.

The couple worked in the prison tailor shop where the Sweat and Matt also worked. Both convicts remain at large Thursday.

(AP)

A second college student was arrested Wednesday in the investigation of an alleged plot to stage a pressure-cooker bomb attack in New York City on behalf of the Islamic State terror group.

Fereed Mumuni, 21, was ordered held without bail on attempted murder charges that accuse him of trying to kill an FBI agent with a large kitchen knife when agents tried to execute a search warrant at his Staten Island home. He became the latest defendant in the spate of cases in the city and elsewhere involving young men and women allegedly radicalized by the militant group’s propaganda.

After his arrest, Mumuni told investigators he had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and that he planned to travel overseas to fight with the militants, according to government papers. If he didn’t succeed with that, “he intended to attack law enforcement officers,” the papers added.

Outside federal court in Brooklyn, defense attorney Anthony Ricco denied that Mumuni was an Islamic State convert. Ricco said his client is a practicing Muslim who attends the College of Staten Island.

The arrest surprised his family, who “know him as a quiet, soft-spoken person,” Ricco added.

On Tuesday, authorities announced the arrest of college student Munther Omar Saleh.

Court papers called the 20-year-old Saleh a “fervent supporter” of the Islamic State who wanted to attack New York. Authorities say he searched the Internet for information about pressure-cooker bombs, city landmarks and tourist attractions.

There was no immediate response to a message left Wednesday with Saleh’s attorney.

(AP)

Wednesday is supposed to be the day New York state lawmakers adjourned their 2015 session, but their failure to reach a compromise on extending New York City’s rent regulations is sending them into overtime.

Lawmakers remain far apart on dueling proposals to renew the rent regulations that cover more than 1 million rent-controlled and rent-stabilized units in and around New York City. The law expired Monday at midnight when lawmakers couldn’t negotiate a deal to renew the rules.

Assembly Democrats want stronger protections for tenants. Senate Republicans want income verifications to ensure apartment dwellers deserve the benefit.

A simple extension of the existing rules remains a possibility.

Lawmakers are also negotiating the renewal of a lucrative tax break for New York City developers.

Lawmakers hope to adjourn later this week.

(AP)

New York’s Assembly has passed legislation to establish a new unit in the state attorney general’s office to investigate and prosecute alleged crimes by police in fatal encounters.

Assemblyman Keith Wright, a Manhattan Democrat and the bill’s lead sponsor, says Tuesday there’s an inherent conflict of interest when county district attorneys investigate police, who they work with in most cases.

Several lawmakers referred to the case of Eric Garner, a Staten Island man who died in a police chokehold last year. Local prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury and no officers were indicted.

Assemblyman Alfred Graf, a Long Island Republican and former police officer, says the bill is part of an anti-cop movement.

The bill, which passed 82-47, would also open parts of secret grand jury proceedings.

(AP)