Police Searching For 2 Men In Queens Synagogue Burglary
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Friday were searching for a group of men who broke into a synagogue in Queens, and stole thousands of dollars.
The incident occurred between 5 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25, at Shuva Israel -- located at 147-05 70th Rd. in Kew Gardens Hills.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, police said they have clear video of the theft. The video shows two men snatching up money in boxes on tables to help the need.
"I don't believe it. It's not nice," said Sara Chaim of Kew Gardens Hills.
The synagogue's treasurer, Daniel Potash, said the suspects got in through a window and took off with an estimated $4,000 in all, CBS2's Carlin reported.
"They walked around the building a few times and then they realized that there was a way to, like, pry themselves in and go through the back window," Potash said.
The men also rifled through Torah scrolls, but thankfully did not take them, Carlin reported.
"That's one of the most sacredest things to us and thank God they didn't realize the value of the scrolls," Potash said.
Shuva Israel has operated at the 70th Road location for seven years, and has a top-notch security video system.
Surveillance video shows one of the suspects hastily trying to hide his face after noticing one of the three mounted cameras inside the synagogue, Carlin reported.
"You're just foolish and I hope you get caught," Potash said in a message to the suspects. "It's not about us, you guys are hurting hundreds of people that we help on a weekly basis that don't have food and you're taking food out of people's mouths."
Shuva Israel is hoping to buy the building they're currently renting. The burglary also hurt that fundraising effort, Carlin reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
The public can also submit their tips to the Crime Stoppers website or text their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
There have been similar burglaries at other Queens synagogues and police are still looking in to whether the cases are connected, CBS2 reported.
