Hate attack on Jewish home
Nowadays nothing is safe. Even one cannot celebrate religious holidays inside one's home, or that is how I feel when I reflect upon the fact that Grafton Thomas, a terrorist from the Black Hebrew Israelite congregation, went into an Orthodox Jewish home trying to stab everyone there. It is worth noting that the previous hate crime at a Kosher store a few days, previous to this one, was also done by a member of the Black Hebrew Israelite movement.
===========
Here is the story:
One of the victims is the son of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, at whose home the attack unfolded, and another victim suffered head wounds and is in serious condition, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The rabbi's son is recovering, he said.
MONSEY, New York (WABC) -- The suspect in the stabbings of five people who were celebrating Hanukkah at a rabbi's home in Monsey is facing five counts of attempted murder, and his family says he has a history of mental illness.
Grafton Thomas, 37, of Greenwood Lake, initially fled the scene but was later taken into custody in Harlem with the help of license plate readers.
NYPD officers who stopped him said there was blood on his clothes, which also smelled of bleach.
His family released a statement talking about his mental illness, but they said he was raised to embrace tolerance.
"Grafton Thomas has a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations," the statement read. "He has no history of like violent acts and no convictions for any crime. He has no known history of anti-Semitism and was raised in a home which embraced and respected all religions and races. He is not a member of any hate groups. We believe the actions of which he is accused, if committed by him, tragically reflect profound mental illness. Finally, we express our deepest concern and prayers for those injured physically and otherwise deeply affected by the events of Saturday night...We thank those who rendered medical attention to each of those injured."
Bail was set at $5 million, and Thomas remains jailed.
Thomas' criminal history includes an arrest for assaulting a police horse, according to an official briefed on the investigation who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. A lawyer representing Thomas at the arraignment said he had no convictions.
The Greenwood Lake street where Thomas lived with his mother, about 20 miles from Monsey, was blocked with police tape Sunday as FBI agents and police officers carried items from their home.
Authorities have not provided a motive for the attack, but Governor Andrew Cuomo called it domestic terrorism and said it is an example of larger problems.
"This is an intolerant time in our country," he said. "We see anger, we see hatred exploding...It is an American cancer."
Monsey, near the New Jersey state line about 35 miles north of New York City, is one of several Hudson Valley communities that has seen a rising population of Hasidic Jews in recent years.
===========
Here is the story:
MONSEY, New York:
Five people were taken to area hospitals after the suspect entered the Hanukkah celebration in the New York suburb and began stabbing people, according to police and witnesses.
The victims are Hasidic Jews, the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council for the Hudson Valley Region said in a tweet. Two people are in critical condition, council co-founder Yossi Gestetner told CNN. One of the victims is the son of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, at whose home the attack unfolded, and another victim suffered head wounds and is in serious condition, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The rabbi's son is recovering, he said.
MONSEY, New York (WABC) -- The suspect in the stabbings of five people who were celebrating Hanukkah at a rabbi's home in Monsey is facing five counts of attempted murder, and his family says he has a history of mental illness.
Grafton Thomas, 37, of Greenwood Lake, initially fled the scene but was later taken into custody in Harlem with the help of license plate readers.
NYPD officers who stopped him said there was blood on his clothes, which also smelled of bleach.
His family released a statement talking about his mental illness, but they said he was raised to embrace tolerance.
"Grafton Thomas has a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations," the statement read. "He has no history of like violent acts and no convictions for any crime. He has no known history of anti-Semitism and was raised in a home which embraced and respected all religions and races. He is not a member of any hate groups. We believe the actions of which he is accused, if committed by him, tragically reflect profound mental illness. Finally, we express our deepest concern and prayers for those injured physically and otherwise deeply affected by the events of Saturday night...We thank those who rendered medical attention to each of those injured."
Bail was set at $5 million, and Thomas remains jailed.
Thomas' criminal history includes an arrest for assaulting a police horse, according to an official briefed on the investigation who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. A lawyer representing Thomas at the arraignment said he had no convictions.
The Greenwood Lake street where Thomas lived with his mother, about 20 miles from Monsey, was blocked with police tape Sunday as FBI agents and police officers carried items from their home.
Authorities have not provided a motive for the attack, but Governor Andrew Cuomo called it domestic terrorism and said it is an example of larger problems.
"This is an intolerant time in our country," he said. "We see anger, we see hatred exploding...It is an American cancer."
Monsey, near the New Jersey state line about 35 miles north of New York City, is one of several Hudson Valley communities that has seen a rising population of Hasidic Jews in recent years.
Comments
Post a Comment