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What began as a terrifying armed home invasion in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, ended with the suspect behind bars after a Jewish father fought off the attacker inside his home and Crown Heights Shomrim volunteers helped police track him down through a combination of determination and technology.
The frightening ordeal unfolded Monday afternoon when a man dressed in a Con Edison jacket and wearing a mask rang the Ring doorbell of a Jewish family’s home. The homeowner, who was only a few blocks away, answered through the Ring app and instructed the stranger to leave. Instead, the man forced his way inside while brandishing a firearm and assaulted the Jewish mother and her child.
What followed was a remarkable turn of events.
Listening through the Ring system, the father heard the screams coming from inside his home and rushed there immediately. Upon arriving, he confronted the armed intruder, managed to wrestle away the weapon, and knocked the attacker unconscious during the struggle.
As the suspect lay incapacitated, the family escaped from the house and contacted police. Officers responded within minutes, but before they could arrive, the assailant regained consciousness, recovered his firearm along with several stolen valuables, and fled the scene.
Security cameras captured the suspect escaping with blood streaming from injuries sustained during the confrontation. His once-bright yellow Con Edison jacket had become stained red as he ran through the neighborhood.
At the same time, the victim’s wife reached out to Crown Heights Shomrim for assistance.
Shomrim volunteers quickly flooded the area, searching nearby streets and following every available lead in an effort to locate the fleeing suspect.
Another fortunate break soon emerged. During the hurried robbery, the suspect had unknowingly taken a cellphone that could be tracked in real time. Using its location, Shomrim volunteers followed the signal into Brooklyn’s East New York-Brownsville area, where they continued their search.
One alert Shomrim volunteer spotted the suspect as he attempted to avoid detection by throwing away the Con Edison jacket and changing much of his clothing. While that volunteer discreetly kept the suspect under observation, another flagged down nearby police officers, who quickly moved in and arrested him.
Police recovered the firearm allegedly used during the home invasion, along with the property stolen from the family’s home. Officers also found multiple cuts and injuries hidden beneath the suspect’s hat—physical evidence of the violent struggle with the homeowner.
Thanks to what many described as remarkable Siyata D’Shmaya, combined with the father’s courage and the rapid response of Shomrim volunteers, an incident that could have ended in tragedy instead concluded with the suspect in custody.
One longtime Shomrim volunteer recalled another devastating Crown Heights home invasion that occurred more than three decades ago.
“I vividly recall responding to the incident in which Mrs. Pesha Leah Lapine was horrifically murdered during a home invasion,” he said. “This incident was very similar in which an armed attacker invaded the home of a Jewish family, and Boruch Hashem this one ended differently.”
Mendy Hershkop, a coordinator with Crown Heights Shomrim, said the attack should serve as an important reminder for families to exercise caution before opening their doors.
“Nowadays we have so many different people coming up to our front doors, deliveries from UPS, Amazon, food deliveries, store deliveries and it is very easy to be lulled into thinking its ok to just open a door,” said Mendy Hershkop, a coordinator in Crown Heights Shomrim. “I know my kids sometimes just run to open the door, and this incident unfortunately serves a strong reminder that we need to speak to our families and reinforce the potential danger in becoming complacent.”
Investigators credited technology with playing a pivotal role throughout the incident. The Ring doorbell allowed the father to realize what was happening and race home to defend his family, while surveillance footage and the tracked cellphone provided Shomrim and police with the information needed to locate the suspect.
“We have invested heavily in technology and have volunteers with unique and specialized experience that together were able to bring this incident, and many other [thankfully] less serious incidents to successful conclusions,” said Shomrim.
{Matzav.com}