Crown Heights, NY – A man wanted in the beating of a cop’s son is hiding in plain sight in Israel – enraging the victim’s dad.
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Yitzhak Shuchat, 27, fled after the incident and is living outside Tel Aviv with his wife and children, his family confirmed Monday.
“It’s a disgrace,” said NYPD cop Moses Charles. “My son is still suffering, and this guy gets to enjoy his life.”
Andrew Charles, then 20, was riding his bike through Crown Heights in April 2008 when he was set upon by a gang of men who doused him with pepper spray and beat him with a night stick.
Shuchat – a member of a Hasidic civilian crime patrol named Shmira – was identified as one of the attackers in the racially charged incident.
An arrest warrant was issued in May 2008, although the charges have not been made public.
Shuchat fled to Montreal and then Israel shortly afterward, investigators believe.
His secret was not made public until this year, when a man entirely unconnected to the case hunted the fugitive down and turned over the information to the Brooklyn district attorney’s office.
Brooklyn car mechanic Aron Hershkop – a member of a rival crime patrol group, Shomrim – became convinced last year that Shuchat was harassing him from overseas.
Hershkop said his complaints to authorities fell on deaf ears.
So he hired a private investigator, Joe Levin, who easily located Shuchat in Lod, where Israel’s largest airport is based.
“If I was able to find him with my resources, why can’t the government find him with their resources?” Hershkop said.
He said he told Brooklyn prosecutors last month where they could find Shuchat.
A spokesman for the district attorney would not say how long the office has known where Shuchat is hiding out.
“We have been actively pursuing his extradition, and we will continue to do so,” District Attorney Charles Hynes said.
The office referred further questions to the State Department, which referred questions to the Justice Department. The Justice Department declined to comment.
Charles said he was never told investigators knew where to find one of his son’s accused attackers – nor was he given an explanation for the holdup.
“I wasn’t aware of this. I wasn’t given any information,” the 42-year-old officer said.
Shuchat did not respond to a message left with his mother-in-law, Rachel Kirschenbaum.
people like him are responsible for rubashkin not been allowed to get out on bail. his running away to israel asserts the prosecuter’s claim that all jews are a flight risk.
So it’s ok to retaliate against mesira with mesira?
Mr. Hershkop you got to be kidding me you went to the police to masser on a fellow jew with a wife and probably kids because you think he may be harassing you what in the world is happening crown heights? I agree we need Moshiach NOW !!!!!!
Yitzhak Shuchat should be extradited back to the USA, and the State Dept. should pressure EY to send him back. We can’t have EY become a safe haven for criminals, whether they are white collar criminals, or violent criminals. In the early 1970’s, Israel deported Meyer Lansky to the USA, where he faced trial on a variety of charges. Hence, there is precedent for this type of action.
I cant believe that Yidden will go out of their way to Masser on a Yid who lost his father and had a horrible life, he is not living it up, anyone who met him knows he is the nicest most giving person and was always involved in Bikur Cholim and Ahavas Chesed.
He was defending the yidden of crown heights in a time when there were muggings every day and to his mazal it was a cops son and some of these yidden are trying to kiss up to the DA so they are mossering him.
What a disgrace, someone do something? we dont have enough hate form outside? we need to instigate hate from within?
The word “Mesira” gets thrown around as if it is some universal “get out of jail free” card. IT’S NOT!
There are poskim who specifically get involved in the decision as to whether or not calling the police is mutar. MANY times, it is. Other yidden will (and have) paid a hefty price thanks to the likes of this chazer Shuchat and the rest of the scum hiding in EY. As far as police are concerned we are all complicit in their crimes as we aid and abed these fugitives. Law enforcement officials do not trust us. Courts do not trust us. Rubashkin and others are paying the price for these animals.
Such a nice Jewish boy. Can’t be true.
We have been actively pursuing his extradition, and we will continue to do so,” District Attorney Charles Hynes said
But molestor and fake talk show host Avroham Mondrowitz he let stay there.
This story stinks to the high heaven! Sounds like Harlem
With all the tragedies taking place in Crown Heights, can’t we find away to make peace?
i don’t know much but you cannot take sides from this article . Perhaps shuchat did that because SHOMRIM MASSERED ON HIM and had to move etc. I feel so sorry for families like this. I am sure that shuchat did not go deliberately beating up the kid.
I know Yitzy Shuchat very well. He is truly an Ish Chesed ,who would help anyone any time of day or night. He was involved in Bikur Cholim, and Shmira for the Crown Heights neiborhood. Before he even had chance to tell his side of the story, and charged by the police the D.A. was out to get him. The D.A told the Daily News that there would not be any deal. If this fight happened in any other community, the Yidden would be screaming that the police was being biast againts Yidden. He went on a call to help his fellow Yidden, and because of politics he is being mossered on. Where is the Crown Heights Community? Instead of giving support to somone who has helped many , knowbody is home. When Yitzy fould out that somone needed money for living expeses or a Matzavah, Yitzy would colect the money. This is his reward for helping people.
Yitzy, is one of the nicest men i have ever met.
The Hershkops and the rest of their crew should be ashamed and embarrassed for starting up with a yid, besides the fact that he is a yosom, just because of their stupid Shmira – Shomrim politics.
Why do they have so much hatred against him?
What did he possibly do to be chased like this?
Yitzy was protecting the community. This thug who is a cops son beat another Jew and harassed other yidden has the audacity to claim he is a victim.
This is Sdom and Amora.
Yitzy Shuchat is a solid tzadik, who devotes his entire life to true Chesed, just like his father, a well known tzadik who passed away a few years ago yibodeil lechaim tovim vaaruchim. Yitzis only crime? being part of Shmira.
Aaron Hershkop who has so much hatred towards the shmira organization will go any length to try and destroy them, the more Aaron hits Shmira the more they grow just like makas tzfardea in mitzraim.
Shmira makes every significant arrest in Crown Heights, they are recognized, sanctioned and respected by the NYPD. and loved by the community, so as we see even with all the false accusations against Shmira and its members, they bloom and grow.
It is truly shocking how Aron Hershkop has the Chutzpah to come out openly and brag about his messira something which he has been accused of for the past 12 years and denied. Thanks for the truth finally…
Aaron Hershkop who claims to be “helping” the Jewish community in Crown Heights, has proven quiet the opposite, endangering the entire community by attempting to enrage the black community against the Jews and stoke the fire of racism, all this, just to further his personal agenda.
Shame On You
we need Moshiach now
1) Does this Hershkop fellow have family in Montreal?
2) Does this fellow who ran to Israel have family in Montreal?
3) If that’s not the case, how does Montreal come into the equation?
4) I live in the Lubavitch area of Montreal..I would hate to think that this community harbours criminals or those who are running away from the law.
5) If we chose to live amongst the goyim, then we must adhere to their laws…No where is it written that we are absolved of adhering to their laws, save for mesiras nefesh.
I Hark back to the days when Lubavitch was admired and respected amongst us ordinary Jews…It seems that as of late with the influx of the nouveau ‘returnees’ and the lack of a Rebbe, Lubavitch is in the throws of a crisis.. Very sad indeed. Lubavitch needs a Rebbe who will guide this listless ship.
1.) If one is charged with a crime does it mean they are guilty? Answer: No
2.) Did a Rov gave Aron Hershkop a heter to “inform” the authorities? Answer: No
3.) What does the trial of the “Six” have to do with this matter? Answer Nothing.
4.) How come the newspaper artcile only quotes people in favor of Shuchat’s arrest and extradition? Answer: See Below.
The newspaper article has all the signs of a hatchet job.