Santa Fe, NM – Police have arrested yesterday two perps in their homes for a home invasion at a social gathering in Santa Fe.
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Authorities say 19-year-old Aaron Dundas and 14-year-old Shalom Katz are being held on charges including attempted murder, robbery and aggravated burglary.
Police say a group of at least four males wearing ski masks and carrying baseball bats kicked open a door of an office connected to a home
late December 29th.
Officers say the group attacked and demanded money from 10 to 12 people
who were partying at the home.
Santa Fe Deputy Police Chief Aric Wheeler confirmed to VIN News the attacks were serious, with a victim remaining hospitalized. Also, he reported that Katz’s father came to the precinct to ask the officers to respect his son’s observance of Shabbos and not ask him to desecrate the halachos. [kob]
I have known the young man’s father for well over 35 years and I can assure you his words and actions reflect a deep and genuine love for his son. During times of extreme stress, what we say and do reflexively, reveal the core of our being. What he asked of the authorities on behalf of his son and family is a testament to how deeply rooted in his soul his faith and practice are. I for one, praise him for the profound strength and unwavering consistency of his practice. Would we be so strong in a similar circumstance?
Neither they nor anyone in the community need the clouded, self-righteous judgment of others. Now more than ever, he and his son need our prayers and support for true healing and a positive resolution. Shalom.
Shalom is a good kid and deserves a chance…He definitely needs some mental attention though….he needs a hospital not a jail….
I know this family. Some of you folks should be thoroughly ashamed of your comments here. I also know the rav that the tortured, scared father consulted with.
The boy was released to house arrest at the same time that the charges were reduced when the prosecutor admitted that they don’t have any evidence for the most serious charges.
The father is a frum person, totally committed to keeping mitzvos and doing hesed. He is known among the Jews and goyim for the good that he does. He acted on a rav’s advice, and asked the police to please not require him to answer the phone or travel on Shabbos. He told them that he understands that they may randomly come by the house, he just wants to avoid chillul Shabbos. Any chillul Hashem involved or potentially involved is already out of his hands. The rav he asked told him to try and get cooperation where shmiras Shabbos is concerned. That is what he did.
And you all want to condemn this yid for trying to continue and do the right thing, even under all the pressures he has? And you all want to add to those pressures? You all are adding to the kitrug in shamayim with your comments. You should be davenning for the family’s well being, and that the truth should turn out to be that this young yid didn’t do what they say he did. The prosecutor has already admitted that to be partly the case, and you all are abandoning this yid instead of davenning for him!
Part of the shonda and chillul Hashem is right here in your comments!
‘True Justice’ has it right, by the way.
Is anyone out there pre-judging this 14 year old who is familiar with the Talmudic declaration that from 13 to 20 only the heavenly court can judge a person. The exception is a ben sorair umoreh and even then the conditions are so strict that some say it could never be implemented. Even a human court is warned to judge behavior not essence. Let this boy’s own words be your teacher: ‘I may have done bad things but I am not a bad kid.’
If this were your child, would you be so quick to condemn especially without knowing all the fact? As far as the Shabos issue, since when is even a convicted person prohibited from following mitzvos? Is someone in prison not allowed to keep kosher? Yidden, please think before you speak, or especially write something in public. Be careful, lest your own words be used by accusing angels to convict you for your mistakes. We are taught, hevei dan es kol ha’adam l’kaf zechus,’ judge the whole person in the scale of merit.’ In other words, if you could see the whole person, you could not condemn him. I happen to know this boy personally and I can assure you that he had done enough good deeds in his young life to assure his portion in the world to come. Can you all say the same for yourselves?
Please, let’s not judge them as guilty until it has been proven in a court of law. Even then, we might never know the truth. I don’t think a Jew has a fair chance in our system.
Anon 3:07,
It’s not just “one” halocha here-it’s Chilul Hashem, for which there is no kapora for. That’s how serious it is. And for his father to ask the police to worry about his son’s Shabbos observance just compounds it. It brings attention to the masses, as it has here, that a Shomer Shabbos can do such a thing.
I guess if we commit one aveira we should forget about all other halachos. I guess Reish Lakish is no raya here either. Everyone here who is not dan lekaf schus should, at this time, throw off your kippot and eat a ham sandwich. At least according to you thats what should happen.
reminds of the joke–accused murderer of parents begs the judge for mercy because he is an orpahn
Shmirat Shabbos is the least of this family’s problems, and even if he were innocent, a total hilul hashem for the father to make such a request.
even if he may be a troubled child, an accomplice to a crime to the police it’s considered as if you already committed the act itself.
Unfortunately I know of Yiddishe Neshamos who were an accomplice, what they call co-defendants, and they did the SAME exact time in prison as the actual person that committed the crime.
Just hope that NOTHING becomes of this case.
My heart goes out to the family who are so much in pain because of this tragedy.
HEY YIDDEN, RACHMONIM UBNEI RACHMONIM:
Do you remember the case in Flatbush where five boys allegedly attacked and nearly “killed” a Pakistani Dunkin Donuts clerk YM”S?
Boy did we jump to conclusions then, convicting them of everything under the sun BEFORE THE FACTS CAME OUT!
Read the article carefully: it says that he was ONE of FOUR. Maybe he was just an accomplice and is NOT ebing charged with the attempted murder part. My guess would be that given his age, he is likely a troubled child whose parents are going through their own hell with him and he simply went along with the older ones NOT FULLY knowing what he was doing.
LET’S GIVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT – when a troubled child is down, all they really do is seek companionship with those who are lower than them. I am prepared to bet that this was the case here too.
PLEASE REMEMBER that he is a yiddishe neshoma and DON’T BE SO BRAZEN as to write him off because of a newspaper article.
should have thought about it before committing the alleged crimes
What a Chillul Hashem
Katz’s father came to the precinct to ask the officers to respect his son’s observance of Shabbos and not ask him to desecrate the halachos,but it’s OK to have charges including attempted murder, robbery and aggravated burglary?!?!?!
What a BIzayon to Kellal Yisroel
Innocent until proven guilty stipulated, but attempted murder, aggravated assault, burglary, etc. are also rather serious violations of halacha if I’m not mistaken. It is ironic that the younger boy’s name is Shalom…