NYPD Commissioner: Suspect Panicked, Killed 8-Year-Old Leiby Kletzky

Says Boy's Remains Found In 2 Locations, Including Levi Aron's Refrigerator

July 13, 2011 11:49 PM

(credit: Handout)

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Heard On 1010 WINS, WCBS, WFAN, Local, News, NY News, Seen On CBS 2HD, Syndicated Local, Watch + Listen

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – There was utter shock and disbelief in Brooklyn on Wednesday following the horrific killing of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, who was lost and looking for help.

An intense two-day search for the missing Borough Park boy ended with the arrest of 35-year-old Levi Aron after Kletzky’s dismembered body was found in two different locations by police. Wednesday evening, Aron was charged with murder.

WCBS 880′s Marla Diamond With Ray Kelly: It Was The Child’s First Time Walking Home From Day Camp Alone

Aron’s attorney spoke briefly with attorneys after meeting with his client Wednesday night. He said that Aron was “holding up well.”

“Our condolences to the family of the victim and at this time were going to let the judicial process take its course — no further comment,” attorney Pierre Brazile said.

Records from a dentist’s office led police to Aron, who was taken into custody early Wednesday after Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said he implicated himself in Kletzky’s death.

CBS 2 has also learned that Aron told police that while volunteers were looking for the boy, he drove Kletzky upstate to Monsey — claiming they went to a wedding. He also allegedly told police that the boy slept in his apartment.

Kelly said Aron panicked after seeing flyers of Kletzky around the neighborhood and killed the boy. Police said according to statements Aron made, he brought the boy to his apartment, killed him there and dismembered the body. However, authorities indicated that the boy was still alive Monday night, when he went missing.

Aron worked at Empire State Supply Company on McDonald Avenue. His boss, Michael Panzer, said he was there for at least 12 years, except for two years when he lived in Memphis, Tenn.

1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria Speaks With Aron’s Former Boss

Panzer described Aron as very polite, a little disorganized and someone who stayed to himself.

“He must have snapped — that’s all I can say. There was no indication of anything. He was very quiet,” Panzer told 1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria.

Around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday, detectives went to Aron’s home at 466 East Second St., where they found part of Kletzky’s body inside a refrigerator. Aron lives alone in the third-floor apartment in a building shared with his parents. Kelly said he has lived there for two years.

1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks reports: Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare

When investigators arrived at the home, they found the door slightly ajar and asked where the boy was; Aron nodded to the kitchen. There, they found blood on the refrigerator handle.

PHOTOS: Borough Park Boy Murdered, Dismembered

“Inside the refrigerator was a cutting board with three carving knives with blood on them,” said Kelly. “Some of the remains were in the freezer.”

levi aron1 NYPD Commissioner: Suspect Panicked, Killed 8 Year Old Leiby Kletzky

Levi Aron (credit: Facebook)

Detectives found the other half of Kletzky’s remains wrapped in a black plastic garbage bag inside a red suitcase in a dumpster in Sunset Park, about two miles from Aron’s home.

The medical examiner’s office will determine a cause of death. Kelly said there was no indication that the boy had been sexually molested or that Kletzky knew the suspect.

Police also used two surveillance videos to search for clues in Kletzky’s disappearance.

Raw Video: NYPD News Conference On Leiby Kletzky Death

One video showed the young boy leaving his day camp, located at 12th Avenue and 44th Street, at 5:05 p.m. He was supposed to meet his mother at 5 p.m. Monday at the corner of 13th Avenue and 50th Street.

Kelly said police believe Kletzky got lost on his way home and stopped at 18th Avenue and 44th Street, where he is seen on video talking to Aron and asking for directions. Later, Kletzky is seen getting into Aron’s gold-colored sedan.

WCBS 880′s Paul Murnane With Reaction From Aron’s Kensington Neighborhood

Aron was tracked down after investigators, looking for Kletzky, noticed a man on the video going into a nearby dentist’s office around 5:30 p.m. Monday, while Kletzky waited across the street.

The dentist, who was later found in New Jersey, said Aron wasn’t a patient but was paying a bill for a patient there and police were able to find him using those records.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind said the boy was the only son of the Kletzky’s five children and said the husband works as a driver for a private car service.

“It’s just a horror for every parent,” Hikind said. “I mean it’s just a tragedy today for everyone in New York.”

Kletzky had begged his parents to let him walk home. They had given him a note, saying he would not be taking the bus.

Kelly said that his parents had gone over the route Kletzky was supposed to take home with him before letting him walk it alone. His mother was waiting for him at a halfway point, which the young boy never made it to.

“Parents know their children better than anyone else, they have to make certain judgments,” Kelly said. “There comes a time when everyone has to go forward on their own and it’s up to the parents to make those determinations.”

“They were horrible yesterday when the child was not there, hoping that they’ll find him, but now forget it,” Hikind said. “How does a parent live with their little child brutally assaulted, murdered, dismembered?”

A funeral will be held for Kletzky later Wednesday.

What are your thoughts on this horrific tragedy? Sound off in our comments section.

NYPD Commissioner: Suspect Panicked, Killed 8 Year Old Leiby Kletzky

Bombmaniac

Does anybody know which resident of 466 East Second st. was arrested? It’s a 3 family house. Please update.

An Angry Dad

If I knew, I’d tell you. We’ll probably have to wait for arraignment to find out exactly who was arrested for it. The Post says it was just his feet in a fridge in the attic of this house, so I’m personally guessing it was the 2nd Floor resident(That’s just a guess.)
Terri

Property Shark states it’s a 2-family residence.

An Angry Dad

Yeah, I live in one of those illegally-converted buildings too. Property Shark is no indication of the reality of the building.

mind your business

Do you really think you should be throwing names around until we find out who did it.Tempers are high you can get another innocent person hurt with your stupid postings.
EB

The point is that he confessed and the NYPD found body parts in his refrigerator and Levi Aron took them to the dumpster. What more truth could you ask for?

TRACK

You did good on these points, plus he could identify the man. There is no safe place on earth for anyone…adult or child
KPMc

“If he’s Arabic he should have his remains deported.”

I assume you meant if he is a foreign-born non-US resident.

Because if that is not what you mean then what do you propose we do if he is neither arab or muslim?

nathan

maybe it was the rabbi who raped you. maybe he came back to the usa
coexist

I can`t believe people still can think of religion, race, citizenship etc. This is a real tragedy! This horrible, brutal crime clearly shows us that there are mentally sick people in our city! We take subway with them, we work, we shop from them! This is a strong evidence that human being is getting worse and worse in the world! Open your eyes people! Before everything else we have to be human being! Living in a community and isolating your life from others is not enough anymore. This tragedy made me miserable today. Now, it gives me nausea to see comments about how victim and murderer both Jewish bla bla..! I am a Muslim woman. I lived for 32 years.I`d say it`s enough. If I knew I could give that little kid back to his family, I`d give up on my own life in a heart beat. Please try to see the big picture. Please stop looking forward to find someone to blame. Please keep your religion between God and you and no matter what don`t use it as a divider.. We might pick different roads but we all believe in same God end of the day. Let`s pray for his family together.

Akbar

why they did it? Who could do it it was a baby
bullett

Just a very sad ending to a young child’s life. May the person (s) responsible for his death burn in hell forever.
UPSET_MOTHER

As a mother of a child around the same age, I am so deeply hurt by reading this. I got chills when I heard it on the radio this morning. To the family, my heart and prayers go out to you. To the community, its time to watch over our future children and help them and guide them from these evil monsters!
To the perps that did these horrific actions – MAY YOU ROT in HELL!!!!

Upset & Sickened!!!
Steve

There are times when the human race truly makes me sick to my stomach.

Are we any better than other animals? Certainly not all of us.

Heaven help the victim’s family. Rest in peace, little guy.

BARBARA

animals are better than so-called humans

Max

So true! Animals NEVER kill other animals.
Russ

Max- animals never kill other animals just for fun or sexual kicks. They do it as part of their urge to have food or defend their territory.

Aine

God be with the family and may little Leiby rest in peace. What a terrible tragic thing to happen.

An Angry Dad

Calling Mr Aron to see whether he’s a. in jail or b. renting the place out.
Ben

May God give comfort to the family

Artemis

May God not have allowed this to happen in the first place.

chaim

how could they?!
Ryan Angry Brooklyn Resident

Its disgusting how this can happen so easily. However, its supreme parental neglect to allow your 9 year old to walk home alone. If the parents would have acted like parents that kid never woulda been able to walk alone. That said, its absolutely disgusting that someone would harm an innocent child. I do feel for the family and the community, but this needs to be an alert to the Orthodox that they aren’t as safe as they think. I hope he rests in peace

Eli

This is a horrible ending to a terribly sad story but we should not deduce from this that a 9 year old kid shouldn’t walk a few blocks in daylight. we must continue to live.
cmcledford

I agree with Mary Mac – he was allowed to walk two blocks. That is the same as leading your kid walk to the neighbors house.
Denise

To the fool (Ryan Angry Brooklyn Resident ) who sits in judgment of the parents — go far away. You must not be a parent and in fact, I wonder if you are even human? You obviously have no heart. When I was nine I would walk almost a mile to and from school alone. We all did. The parents are not in the wrong. They do not need idiots like you adding fuel to the fire of what these poor people will already suffer. Just go away Ryan. Go take your cruel remarks and shove them up your proverbial……….

watch your kids

WOW Denise it is true if mother was doing her job she would of picked him up at camp 9 years old way to young to walk home alone peroid ,People watch your damn kids this will never happen.
Genevieve

Hay jackas- “Watch your kids” You need to learn how to read she wasn’t against the parents she is for them she said nothing but it is ok to let your kid walk home at 9 everyone against the parents 1 most not live in brooklyn and most live in that fairy land us Brooklyn kids dream about! 2 Don’t even have kids, so back off!
A parent

Genevieve bottom line is if kid was properly watched this would of never happed .Parents need to take blame for bad choices they make and this was a very bad one.There are no safe areas in brooklyn or anywhere in this world .There are crazy people everywhere if you watch your kids the proper way we can avoid these horrors.

destiny Dej

Ryan so when and at what age was he supposed to walk those blocks alone ? Stop blaming his parents , God alone knows how much they are beating up themselves about their decision .Divert your outrage to the monster that could not see this child and resist the temptatio nto abduct and dismember him . This could have easily happened outside his own door or the school gates . Stop casting blame.

parents please watch ur child

Wow you are so wrong.Parents should of picked him up .Does not take a blind person to see this could of been avoided.7 blocks way txo long for 9 year old.

mary mac

Who are the freaks that did this to this little boy? Amazing that they pieced the story together so fast. My heart and prayers are with the Kletzky family and with his community. Much love.
speculantobserver

whole story is weird. also interesting how it happened just few days after casey anthony verdict

san

No, that doesn’t make it interesting or even related in any way.

Frank

One is supposed to wake up FROM a nightmare, not wake up INTO a nightmare. This is a nightmare for all residents of all faiths and backgrounds in NYC. I have major issues with death penalty (that is, I have always been against it)……but after hearing this, it sure is tempting to rethink the whole issue. Whoever did this is not a human being…..they are EVIL INCARNATE. Therefore, whoever is responsible for this should join Bin Ladin as they ROAST in HELL……

Frank

sorry……”Bin Ladin” typo….meant to say, Bin Laden

Wake up people

Or they could join Madoff in hell, or McVeigh, or Blankfein.
Is Bin Laden the only evil guy in the world?
Obviously not

Angry Dad

Let the guy out of the Precinct. I’ll take care of it from there…

An Angry Dad

If I get my hands on the guy who did this, I have no intentions of ending it quickly.
Max

Couldn’t agree more. I was a member of the search team. I couldn’t stay home. I feel such loss, such rage. I want to pull that animals nails from his fingers.
badman

he’s got (well-deserved) hell on earth waiting for him in prison

CINDY GILSON

I keep reading over and over the article about this poor child, trying to make some sense of it… I cant believe there are such horrific people in this world who would do this to an innocent child. Pray for the family, they will need it.
JM

So heartbreaking. It’s a shame at what this world is coming to. What could a little 9 y.o boy have done for someone to have done this to him. I only pray for God to give that family strength to get through this….and that he protect ALL our innocent children.
susan

How horrible. The world will mourn the loss of this young citizen of the Hasidic community. Our hearts go out to his family…
lily black

Life without parol? Let’s the momzer fry!!!

debby

i agree completly a monster like this should never be allowed to see the light of day again

holy bananas

something is not kosher here, no pun intended. the VERY first time the kid gets to walk home alone he gets murdered!?!?!?!? and in that community where there are hundreds of people in the streets.

destiny Dej

Holy bananas , things happen in a twinkle of an eye .it does not take a year for evil to show up . Things happen when you least expect .You might try to do something for the first time and things go wrong or you get caught . It is not impossible to get abducted or robbed when hundreds or thousands are nearby .There is s something called opportune time . Ever heard of hiding in plain sight ?

Lilly

I am heartsick for this little boy and his family. His mom must be devastated and wracked with guilt b/c of the one time she allowed him to walk home by himself. What a terrible and cruel death and then the added disrespect of dismembering him and throwing that little boy in the garbage. What kind of monsters are prowling the streets.. I hope he is given the death penalty!
Lynn

I cried when I heard that this poor boy was dismembered like that. I can’t imagine how the family feels right now. As a parent I would want the opportunity to dismember the bodies of the people responsible for this. They should really get life with no chance of parole.

Nochum Mandel

This is the saddest moment of my life!
GOD HELP US! No little kid deserves this! GOD HELP US!
angry NYer

i would really want the DEATH PENALTY be reinstated in new york coz there’s a lot of monsters roaming around the city nowadays….
Exile them

Exile these killers to the Moon for life. Why should our children be afraid to play outside, to walk home in broad daylight, to live a happy, normal life on Earth? If prisons and the death penalty are no longer deterrents, then we must get radical, and boot these criminals off to Space…good riddance.
Rex

No, they deserve death. Such people do not deserve to inhabit the same earth as decent people.
Al Sharpton

Life with no chance of parole? They should executed…..
MO GRAY

LET THE LAW RUN IT’S DUE COURSE, AND THEN HANG HIM ON THE COURT HOUSE STEPS.
melloyello

My skin crawled and my whole body ached when I caught whim of this horrific news. I couldn’t stomach my breakfast. I do agree that the parents not an random individual, because you wouldn’t be any better than the monsters whom did this in the first place, get a change to avenge thier son’s death my dismemebering the inhumane individuals responsible. They should watch the beginning of the movie (I understand they cannot because of their beliefs but for this moment do) “Law Abiding Citizen” and do to the SICK individuals what they did to their son. May Leiby rest in peace and my condolences to the family.
rr

a deli meat slicer thin slices with salt at every cut wouldn’t even be enough of a punishment for this horrific sub animal.
may he rot in eternal hell
D’Joe

I hope the police dept investigates to see if any other missing children are link to this monster.
Laura Novo

Such a horrible crime to a defenseless child. As a parent my heart goes out to these parents. It’s obvious that they will have a hard time coping and wishing that they should have let him get on the bus. Undoubtedly, the individual has serious mental health problems and it’s so unbelievable that such a tragedy occurred in such a close-knit community. I hope that this person gets what he deserves and does not have the opportunity to plead insanity, because if he does, he will either fry here or in hell! He is a sick SOB!

Artemis

i would say my prayers go out to the family but I refuse to pray to any god that wouldn’t protect an innocent 9-year-old boy from such a cruel and callous death. my heart and sympathies go out to the family though.

at least there is little doubt about the murderer’s identity and they are now off the streets.

Andi

Unfortunately God gives us free will. So we can’t blame him for things like this. As I’m sure the family isn’t blaming him either. All blame belongs on the sicko who committed the murder. Not on God. Not on the parents. Not on the child. This wouldn’t of happened had that man not CHOSEN to be just plain evil.

Artemis

Oh really? So God is only responsible for the good things that happen in our lives that we prayed for, but not the bad things that we didn’t?

I thought he was all powerful and all knowing? If that’s the case then why would he allow this to happen? Surely he could have simply routed the boy safely home.
destiny Dej

Thank you Andi ,well said .we often want to blame God and disown him when things that are wrong happen .we have free will .We as humans choose evil . The parents ,, little Leiby or God is not at falt .This monster chose to follow the distructive path and forces of evil .

Zariz

The problem many people – both religious and non-religious – have is that they need everything to make sense to them and fit into a nice , neat package. Well – surprise! Life isn’t that convenient. We don’t need to understand everything. Those who wish to believe will believe despite cruel events such as this.

sam

Only a coward can do this

DeeDee

I agree, Sam. Why did he panic in the first place? What was he doing that caused him panic? Why did he take the child to his apartment in the first place? So, so tragic and horrible. I can’t imagine the fear this poor child felt and hope he did not suffer. RIP little angel.

Randy

I can’t imagine how anyone could hurt a child. I hope those responsible endure the same pain they inflicted on this poor boy. My prayers go out to the parents of this little boy. I can’t imagine the pain they are feeling at this moment. Really…who does this to another human, especially a child?

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NYPD Commissioner: Suspect Panicked, Killed 8-Year-Old Leiby Kletzky

Says Boy's Remains Found In 2 Locations, Including Levi Aron's Refrigerator

July 13, 2011 11:49 PM

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