Rockland County, NY – Four years after the brutal attack which left him burned, scarred and with limited use of one of his arms, a New Square resident is asking a judge to have no mercy on his attacker, a fellow village resident who was just 18 years old when the incident occurred.
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Shaul Spitzer will be appearing before an appeals court on Tuesday to be resentenced in the attack, which left Aron Rottenberg with burns on more than 50 percent of his body. An appeals court ruled that a judge should have taken Spitzer’s age into account when he was sentenced to seven years in the attack, as previously reported on VIN News.
According to reports in The Journal News, Rottenberg plans to argue against giving Spitzer youthful offender status. Spitzer, who is now 22 years old, has been incarcerated for the last three and a half years and is serving time at the Eastern Correctional Facility.
“I have to live with the scars,” said Rottenberg. “I want the judge to stick with the sentence unless he wants to add years. He was out to kill me and my family.”
Spitzer admitted to attempting to torch Rottenberg’s house after the married father of four who is now 48 defied the Skverer Rebbe’s edict banning his followers from davening at a nursing home located just outside New Square. A firebomb that Spitzer was carrying exploded during a confrontation between the two men, leaving Rottenberg with massive burns. Rottenberg, who is no longer able to continue his work as a plumber, underwent multiple skin grafts during a weeks-long hospitalization followed by a lengthy period in rehabilitation.
Lawyers for Spitzer have been pushing for the court to grant Spitzer youthful offender status, which would allow him to be released from jail. Rottenberg, who agreed to the original deal that sent Spitzer to prison, said that forces within New Square have been at work attempting to secure Spitzer’s release.
“If they succeed at getting (Spitzer) out early it will prove to them that they have the power,” explained Rottenberg. “They have what they call the bloc vote. They are very good at working politicians.”
Acknowledging the original sentencing agreement Rottenberg said, “I am the victim. Why should I have to compromise? I did once. They broke their promises. I can’t trust them.”
Rottenberg also noted that he has been maligned and treated harshly by the New Square community, which he alleges hails Spitzer for his actions, and that his reputation has been damaged.
“No one from the community or the family has apologized,” said Rottenberg. “They had three and a half years to apologize. Instead he has become a hero for them and a role model for their teenagers. They’re asking me to ask the judge to give him youthful offender. I won’t.”
Video courtesy The Journal News:
The Rambam writes that when Bais Din is unabie ro mete out a death sentence for murder or gross endangerment. They are still obligated to flog him harshly, short of causing death. The king has the power to hang him together with his supporters, and leave them hangiing for many days.
Spitzer needs to do the time. I am with the victim. May no one ever again suffer in this manner at the hands of a member of his own community!
I don’t get it. Rubashkin’s in jail forever, and this guy might not even serve 7 yrs?
Would love to hear AlterG’s opinion about this case.
How was this not a terror attack?
Is there a fund set up to help pay for his medical expenses?
It’s only in situations like this that we must show compassion and be forgiving. I wish the victim and his family well and pray that he will find very soon in his heart room for forgiveness and be able to look only forward and in the positive. Imagine how beautiful it would be if after Spitzer serves his time, he and Rottenberg make up and forgive each other followed by Rottenberg asking Spitzer to marry his daughter. I personally know so many cases where a son in law got locked up in jail because of his wife and father in law, and afterward the couple made peace and lived happily ever after. So what difference does it make in this case where Spitzer was already locked up. I can see it being a wonderful shidduch, I only pray it works out and can say mazal tov.
After reading the first 10 comments, I was thinking B”H no one is supporting the perpetrator in this and there was mostly normal comments. Then sure enough, the 1st loony toon chimes in.
I think that rottenberg is making a chilul hashem, people are forgetting how tzadikkim were moser nefesh for piyon shvuim, and usually those people sitting were not of our proudest members, we have to remember, yesh din v’yesh dayan, the fact is, whether its right or wrong, an 18 year old new square teenager “is” a real juvenile in terms of knowing and understanding the dangers and consequences. And rottenberg has to remember, that hashem did it to him, salvation for him will not be seeing the 18 year old rotting in jail and never having a family, salvation will be accepting and forgiving “despite”
I’m not chas Veshulem trying to minimise the tzaar that mr. Rottenberg had, but with a jew you can’t go “all the way” so to speak…. He was young.. He was stupid…he will not be a repeat offender. Guarenteed.
Reply to 13. So in your morality the whacko that killed Leiby Kletzky should also be freed? No, Spitzer is murderer, no better than a Moslem, and if anything deserves capital punishment
Spitser deserved what he got and should serve his full term. And NS needs to do some seal searching on how this could have happened.
Most of you guys here are resha’im, have you never heard of such a thing as a mistake, yes he was too foolish and did a MAJOR mistake, and went to prison for it, whilst all of you cheered, but who are you to judge as to how long he should be in prison, just DAVEN that you or your children shouldn’t make such or similar mistskes, (like paying taxes on time) i don’t justify this terrible crime, but leave it to the eibishter, he doesn’t need you to do the dirty work, just wondering where are all the kiruv people, or doesn’t it apply in this case, dont forget what the eibishter says in this weeks parsha, ומקללך אאור, so no help required, Instead saya kapitl Tehilim,
Whoops! I meant Spitzer!
He’s not such a kid if he figured out how to try to murder a whole family just for praying in a different shul. Thank goodness for video cameras. I wonder if they are now outlawed in New Square?
will Spitzer be able to get a shidduch? yidden have compassion.