By Rachel Holliday Smith – DNAInfo.com
A 23-year-old woman was robbed by two men as she was walking home late at night near a busy Crown Heights intersection last weekend, police said.
The woman was passing Empire Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue at about 3 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9 when two men grabbed her, demanded money, forced her to the ground and forcibly removed items from her purse, according to the NYPD.
Officers responding to the incident caught up with one of the assailants, 19-year-old Steve Benjamin of Brownsville, who was carrying the victim’s iPhone and a kitchen knife at the time of his arrest.
The other suspect is still at large.
Benjamin faces seven charges total, including two counts of robbery, a felony, court records show. He is in custody on $15,000 bail and is due back in court on Jan. 25.
His attorney could not be reached for comment.
whats the difference what the reason was that she was out at 3am, everyone has a right to walk anywhere without being mugged, maybe she just got dropped off, and it doesn’t make a difference what religion she was, she is a human being
Bsd
The Rebbe urged us to spread the shevah Mitzvos benei Noach to make the world safer as part of our avodah to help bring Moshiach
You can be sure that the reason the perp was caught so fast is because the victim was probably black. Had it been a Jewish victim, both perps would probably still be at large.
To all of the sexist comments, please take a moment and go educate yourself. I promise, educating yourself will be even easier than getting mugged. In addition, you have no idea why she was walking down the street. Maybe she was going to help a sick friend, maybe she had spent the night babysitting so that she can pay rent and had no other way of getting home. Maybe she had to help a family member.
Gee guess she thought she wasn’t an easy target…
Those who call the girl idiot are idiots themselves. She is a VICTIM! I feel for her very much. This could happen to any of us on any intersection at any time of the day. We need to demand more rights for police to do their job!
It saddens me to read these comments, jewish or not, religious or not. why attacking?? Where is the support? If non jewish or jewish You should care what happened. And if she was Jewish, oy vay, a phone on shabos,.itd not your place to judge, everyone has their own challenges
Stop preaching to people about when and where they should walk. 1. You don’t know the circumstances. And 2. people may walk and not be held accountable for doing so, just because there are some other people who choose to commit crimes.
I’m grateful that the police quickly apprehended a perpetrator and hope the other is caught and held accountable.
My condolences to the victim for the pain and injustice suffered.
was it a jewish person on not ?
3 a.m. Saturday is Shabbos, so it was not a Shomer Shabbos girl. Chassidim are not the only victims of crime in Crown Heights.
parents should have their heads examined for letting a 23 year old GIRL/WOMAN walk around at 3:00 A.M.!?
This is the equivalent of holding a loaded gun to one’s head, and pulling the trigger – or stepping out in the middle of the street, while traffic is zooming by – unless this person has a death-wish, it is simply VILDEKEIT! k’pshuto
3 am Saturday is Shabbos!
אני חושבת שבת ישראל לא צריכה לצאת בלילה משעה תשע משום צניעות לא צריכים לראות את השטן
Although it is not clear if the victim was from the Jewish community or not, this is a good opportunity to remind people that safety is more important than secrecy. When organizing shidduch arrangements, make sure that pick up and drop off are done in a safe area and in a safe manner.
why would a 23 year old WOMAN be walking alone 3 am?
Perhaps she had just parked her car and was walking into her apartment – do you never go out to a simcha or outing at night? Not everyone is idiots, i’m sure she had a good reason to be out.
I’m sorry this happened to her, I really am, but don’t walk on Nostrand Ave. at 3am. No, people shouldn’t be mugging other people, but they do. So be realistic and have some common sense. Hope the girl is ok.
Sorry but which idiot 23 year old woman, or any person for that matter, is walking in the street at 3am — especially near Nostrand ave.
We ask Hashem to look over us, lets at least be smart & not give the soton an opportunity !
Unfortunately we do not yet live in a perfect world. Your life is precious – no one, not male or female, should be walking alone at 3 am at Nostrand and Empire ! I sincerely feel that no one should walk alone at that hour anywhere around here. Moshiach NOW.
AD MOSAI, MOSHIACH NOW!!!