Suspect Arrested in Assault and Robbery of Jewish Man in Midwood

One perpetrator has been arrested and police are searching for another in the July 16 beating and robbery of a Jewish man in Midwood, according to Flatbush Shomrim and the NYPD.

Alix Dure, 18, has been arrested and charged with 2nd degree robbery. He is believed to have committed approximately nine other robberies, and may be charged for them as well. He is not expected to be charged with a hate crime for the July 16 incident, during which perpetrators did not say anything while beating and robbing their victim.

Around 5:45 a.m. that day, 41-year-old Levi Zupnik was making his usual walk to Cong. Shaarei Eliezer – Torna (Rabbi Yidel Horowitz’s shul) on New York Avenue between Avenues J and K in Midwood, to open the shul and make coffee for those who attended the daf yomi shiur of Rabbi Avromi Elbogen.

Surveillance video shows two men suddenly attack him with repeated punches, in an assault of approximately 10 seconds, then stole the bag Zupnik was carrying with his tallis, tefillin and siddur.

Zupnik told Hamodia he yelled, “Help” during the attack, but that the attackers didn’t say anything.

The assailants discarded the tallis, tefillin, and siddur, and they were all later recovered.

Zupnik suffered cuts and bruising, and felt pain when he closed his eyes.

Ask by Hamodia Wednesday evening for his reaction to the arrest Zupnik replied, “Good.” He said his wounds have healed and he is no longer in pain.

In response to hearing that the perpetrator is a suspect in nine other robberies, Zupnik replied, “He’s a horrible guy. They should have caught him the first time.”

Asked what he thought should happen to the perpetrator, Zupnik said, “He should be put in jail, so that he never does this again.”

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smarcus@hamodia.com

rborchardt@hamodia.com