Orange County, NY – Orange County, NY – A Kiryas Joel resident has filed a complaint with the Port Authority Police in Newark, New Jersey, claiming that she was knocked out and robbed by a fellow passenger, who offered her a spiked drink and then took her jewelry.
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The woman, a Mrs. L., claims that on Thursday June 3rd, on a Continental Airlines flight from Israel to Newark, the drink rendered her unconscious for the second half of the flight.
Mrs. L. told authorities that she was returning from attending a wedding in Israel on Continental Airlines flight #085 to Newark, seated in seat 16E. In 16F to her left was a woman.
Mrs. L. stated that the woman passenger was not at all friendly during most of the flight. Only after Mrs. L removed a sandwich from her purse did the woman passenger noticed her Swarovski jewelry and other jewelry items in her bag.
After striking up a conversation, the woman showed Mrs. L. images of Swarovski jewelry on her laptop. The woman then asked Mrs. L. if she would like a drink.
Mrs. L. refused more than once. The woman finally left her seat, returning with a Diet Coke. Mrs. L. refused again but finally she took the drink, immediately detecting a “very bad taste.” “I was knocked out for over an hour, I woke up because I felt like I was choking,” said Mrs. L. “Before landing, a steward, Isaac, even asked me to give him the name of my doctor who gave me such a good sleeping pill.”
Mrs. L. left the plane in a hurry because her husband was waiting to drive her upstate to pickup their handicapped child.
The woman passenger said goodbye and asked Mrs. L whether she had a car at the airport and whether she should drive in her groggy condition.
“It was very late on Thursday, so Friday afternoon I asked my kids to bring me the pocket book and noticed that the entire bag of jewelry was missing,” said Mrs. L., “and I started putting one and one together with the woman passenger next to me.”
Mrs. L. immediately contacted Continental to file a complaint. Continental has yet to return the call.
This afternoon, Mrs. L. went down to Newark to file a complaint with the Port Authority Police. They advised her that the case might be passed on to the FBI for investigation.
“I have been on the phone with Mrs. L. most of the day trying to get all the information to law enforcement in New Jersey and hope that the FBI will lead the investigation. There could be other victims out there who have not reported the crime,” said community activist Isaac Abraham. “I’m amazed at the non-response of Continental Airlines’ customer service to the victim and others who have called.
The Jewish community has posted a number for other victims to call and file complaints: 718-STANDUP (782-6387). Please make sure to have all information handy, including airline, flight and seat numbers, boarding pass, date and time of travel.
This L lady is a very special person its not afabricated story
what a horrible experience…i am sure who ever reads this would avoid taking drinks from strangers but this story must be publicized that other passengers dont get scammed like this women..
Unbelievable. I believe this woman’s story. It is a shame. The passanger must be identified and interviewed by the Police. She must be taken to the station and held for 48 hours and made to sweat like a criminal in the lockup. Then, perhaps, she will return the jewelry. Sadly, the woman will be out of luck if the gazlanis isn’t modeh.
1. If you have such expensive jewelery why wasn’t it hidden away, covered in your pocketbook. You just toss it in with your sandwich, with a next seat passenger can so easily see it.
2. Why are you drinking stuff other people give you, especially afetr you had an uneasy feeling about them.
3. Every international passenger has a passport and its very easy to identify who was sitting next to you.
4. Why is it Continentals fault if someone robbed you on the flight after you drank a mickey. Is Continental required to do a fingerprinting and criminal record seach on all its passengers?
Omgosh, the woman was totally casing Mrs. L. What a shame she didn’t catch on until it was too late. What’s crazy is that the airline has records on who was sitting where. They’ll catch her.
Actually, I was amazed by non frum girls knowing at a very young age not toacept drinks and also always staying with a friend of the same sex. The frum world is new to this.
Don’t blame the airline. I am sure thry will be glad to cooperate once asked to by the FBI. Till then they are terrified of the privacy issues they can mess up.
Sounds like a “Bube Maise”
Our community needs some roofies education!
this will be a hard case to solve, since she only assumes that she was robbed thru this unfriendly-sudden-friendly woman.
I hope that the jewlery gets recovered.
this should be a lesson for all those women, yout Husbands work hard for their money. please guard your belongings with care.
(reply to #7 ) did you say that its new to the frum world to only stay with the same sex?
I assume we’re talking about people that are strangers, and in that case, frum people have always kept (at least a partial) distance, albeit for different reasons.
If its true that lady will never be found.
I do not know mrs L so this comment is not about her just a general statement
But I have know people (yes yidden) to make crazy stuff up like this to file a police report and then collect the insurance money, by people who most would say, that person never.
If the drink had a bad taste and she fell asleep right afterwards, why didn’t she alerted the authorities right away. Also, was this drink an open drink? If yes, why did she accept an open drink from a stranger especially when the stranger was so pushy with a drink?
are there any fluids left on airplanes?
imagine if a bomb was in this bottle.
I feel badly for this lady. This is a good reminder that its not a good idea to bring real jewelry with you on a trip. If you feel you must wear jewelry while away, get some costume jewelry and cubic zirconias. Same with too much cash. Carry travelers checks and keep the numbers in a separate place than where you keep the traverlers checks.
I am sure its not a made up story. Its just a dumb lady that was flaunting her jewelery and did not take care of it and some gonif took advantage. You think only cleaning ladies steal. (Or maybe this was a cleaning lady on the her?)
this story,stinks to high heaven,something is not kosher here.
and by the way,these satmarrers from Kiryas Joel have been boycoting EL AL all these years,maybe after this story [if it’s true ] they will reconsider
The story may be true, I don’t know. But I think that Isaac Abraham is making a mistake making this public at this time. All you need is for this woman to find out that there ia complaint and an FBI investigation against her. She will rid herself from the stolen jewelery and thee will be no hope for the fbi to retrieve it. Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep this quiet for now?
If you ask me swarovski aint worth all that trouble. Its a good bed time story.
How is Mrs L. convinced of her own story? She only found her Jewelry missing a day later.
If this story is indeed true this accused woman must be a professional con-artist. carrying on a flight rooffies is a crime by itself.
I hope they dont end ur banning jewelry from flights.
Just curious, how did they get the liquid on the plane? And if its a powder substance, that she added to a inflight drink. Why did she need to take the drink from her, instead of the stewardess? Something doesn’t sound right!!!
who carries and needs such expensive jewelry? and to top it off , letting strangers see it
i’ll answer it with a Question.
Why could’nt Helen Keller drive?
because she was a woman
I’m not saying the story isn’t true. But, it just seems odd. Why would this woman take a drink from a stranger, rather than from the flight attendant? The details are very weird. I’m not doubting the truth – it’s just odd.
It’s very easy to find that lady. What seat did she sit in. Her passport number. The credit card she used to buy the airplane ticket. The reservation prob has her tel number. Comon guys use your brains cath her!
This lady sitting next to her carries drugs to spike people’s drinks with? Is this normal? I don’t buy this story.
I don’t know who mrs l is, but how can someone file a report with no prove, she lost her jewelry saw it missing a day later how can she file a police report with nothing to prove that the lady next to her took it, imagine next time you are flying and the person sitting next to you files a report that you stole something from them, doesn’t make any sense to me at all.
Interesting that nobody picked up on this one yet.
All this is about, is an advertisement for the swarsky line…
Good job whoever brainstormed this!
Aren’t we all taught from kindergarten never to take candies and lollies or anything from strangers? If someone did indeed succeed in drugging up this woman, she has to be very naive, or from Monroe.
Also she thinks that Swarovski jewelry is very precious, and worth a fuss, or did she have more than that with her? Who travels anywhere with real jewelry in a bag? Was she missing cash too? Or a laptop?
Who speaks to strangers? Who takes anything from anyone?
Where are these people living, in Monroe?
Mabe if mrs L. Would be someone from flatbush you guys would believe more that story ???
I am surprised by the venom so many comments here show!
What is wrong with traveling with some cheap jewelery? Why if someone on a plane brings you a diet coke that obviously did not come from outside the plane (remember post 911 security restrictions on bringing drinks into an airport) would someone suspect there is something wrong with it (maybe a bit naive)? Why if you do not feel well on a plane would you assume you were drugged? Once you get home and find something is missing only then would you have reason to put everything together.
Someone suggested she is interested in making an insurance ploy. Well given how well other people posted here that this is only some cheap swarvoski jewelry it makes no sense that is her intent. If she believes she was drugged she is definitely doing the right thing by going to the police as there is someone out there who hopefully will be caught. The probable end to this story is that nothing is found and it ends up nowhere but if this women slipped her a pill and other people come forward and things add up hopefully this women will eventually be stopped.
If it was a direct flight from EY, maybe the other passenger was Jewish too? If so, that makes it much worse. I always keep my jewelry in my pocketbook when I travel, but I bury it under other stuff. I know it will be stolen if it goes in my suitcase.
to #5 . Yes the airline is in fact responsible for the safety of its passangers and their belongings. She has a strong legal case here that not only can she sue for her jewelry but also for her suffering.
The story may be true but right now she would only be a person of interest and will not be blacklisted. In america she will get away with it by using fake id’s etc. like a con artist.
I know this woman she has a very busy life and does not have time to fabricate any stories
You dont have to believe the story if you dont wish to, but the facts (first hand) are:
She went on a trip for one day to be at the wedding of a yesoma (orphan) who lost her father a month ago.
She discussed swarovski jewelery with the woman but the jewelery that was stolen was real diamond earings.
She is not “blaming” the airline, she is just asking them for help if at all possible. (she is doing her hishtadlis)
and YES, she is the first to admit that she was naive, and made a big mistake by taking the drink, however people do make mistakes (except for all the posters here, who are always so smart, after the fact)
and the only reason she even shared this story was to teach people not to repeat her mistake, and the rest was taken out of context
this teaches us only to drink Mayim Chayim soda