Borough Park On Alert After Violent Home Invasion

MinnieMa

Tue, Sep 26 2006, 7:21 pm

Borough Park On Alert After Violent Home Invasion

Magee Hickey
Reporting

(CBS) BROOKLYN The Orthodox community in Borough Park is on alert after a violent home invasion Monday night. This time it appears the victims were targeted by the bandits.

Police are hoping a surveillance camera out front captured a picture of the masked men who broke into Sarah and Wolf Sicherman's home in Borough Park just after 9 p.m. Monday.

Police say that neighbors might have seen the bandits faces as they fled.

The men, armed with box cutters and wearing ski masks and black jumpsuits, entered through a small window in the back, according to police. They tied up the owner, forced his wife to open the safe and then fled out the front door with cash and jewelry.

"This was a planned, professional break-in. They knew what they were looking for, and they probably followed this man for a long time to plan this happening," said Rabbi Shia Lefkowitz, a neighbor.

Neighbors told CBS 2 that the Sichermans are respected, well-liked members of this Orthodox Jewish community, who made their fortune in real estate:

"They are the most wonderful people. [There is] no one like them. They give a lot of charity. The nicest people you would ever know," said Heddy Weinberger, another neighbor.

The leafy blocks of Borough Park are a tight-knit Orthodox community, where street crime is rare. But now there is fear.

According to neighbor Frieda Schnall, "It was always considered safe neighborhood, but It's scary now to leave our kids home alone at night."

"It's very sad news for the community in the heart of Borough Park. We don't usually have such stories," said neighbor Yossi Friedman.

Motek

Tue, Sep 26 2006, 7:39 pm

MinnieMa wrote:

"This was a planned, professional break-in. They knew what they were looking for, and they probably followed this man for a long time to plan this happening," said Rabbi Shia Lefkowitz, a neighbor.

On alert? All of Boro Park? Maybe those who keep millions of dollars in their home!

Quote:

Last evening at approximately 9:00 pm the home belonging to R’ Volf Zicherman (Rosh Hakahal of Munkatch) was burglarized by two masked armed gunmen. They broke in through a back window of the home, tied up R’ Volf Zicherman and his wife and made off with millions of dollars. A neighbor had witnessed the masked perpetrators exiting the home carrying large bags and quickly entered the home to find them bound and gagged to their beds. The perpetrators escaped and the NYPD are working tirelessly to catch them.

el2cg

Wed, Sep 27 2006, 9:20 am

This is what I read this morning:

Arrest Made In Brooklyn Home Robbery

September 27, 2006

Joseph Fiel, 30, was arrested Wednesday and charged with breaking into a Brooklyn home then attacking and robbing the couple who live there.

Fiel has been charged with robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police say he broke into the couple's boro park home on 54th Street around 9 p.m. Monday.

The couple told police that two masked men broke into their home armed with box cutters. They were then tied up and robbed of a of cash and jewelry before taking off.

The couple was not injured.

amother

Thu, Sep 28 2006, 7:10 pm

A few months ago my father went to learn and my mother was in her bedroom in bed. She heard a noise and thought my father had come back. In a second two masked men were in her bedroom, making her open up her safe and take out everything she had. It was a horrible story and no one should ever go through anything like that. BARUCH HASHEM,
they didn't harm her at all physically. Emotionally- it took her a while to get back to herself. Since then I keep my alarm on all the time-- the rest is up to Hshem. It's not in our hands. But these things do happen-- VERY OFTEN. We just don't always hear about it. My parents live in flatbush- and after their robbery- we heard of so many others from the cops right in our neighborhoods. So please no one leave their house un locked-- or even a window opened. That's how the men came into my parents home. THey also sit and watch- to see who comes home and at what time.

Anon- because don't want those who know the story to know my screen name