(JTA) — There is no evidence to link the accused attacker of Jews at a rabbi’s home in Monsey over the weekend to a November stabbing in the area, local police said.
Brad Weidel, the chief of the Town of Ramapo Police Department, which covers Monsey, New York, said this on Thursday following reports that the Monsey suspect, Grafton Thomas, was questioned in connection with the stabbing close to a synagogue near Monsey that left an Orthodox Jewish man critically injured, the Forward reported Thursday.
Weidel said the car of Thomas’ mother matched the description of a vehicle seen on security footage in Monsey near the time of the earlier attack, but no positive link has been made.
Thomas was arrested in the Saturday night attack at the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg left five people injured. One of them, 71-year-old Josef Neumann, is fighting for his life as a result of injuries to his head and brain caused by a machete. Thomas denies stabbing anyone, and his family says he has mental illness.
Neumann’s daughter told reporters Thursday that Jews in the area long for their feeling of safety to be restored.
“We want our kids to go to school and feel safe,” Nicky Cohen told reporters in front of her home in Rockland County. “We want to go to synagogues and feel safe. We want to go to grocery stores and malls and feel safe.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
