Thief crashes into synagogue

This could be one of the priciest cell phones ever, having so far cost a damaged column of a synagogue, a car that got smashed and another one nearly stolen. 

A 20-year-old man is accused of crashing a car into the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, at 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway, shortly after 4 p.m. on Nov. 2. He was allegedly fleeing a crime scene at an AT&T store at 3553 Johnson Ave., where he had snatched a cell phone from the counter, according to police. 

“We heard a loud bang – and there was a car that had crashed into the building,” the Hebrew Institute’s executive director and CEO, Richard Langer, told The Press. 

The initial fear in the neighborhood was that the synagogue may have been a target: “That’s always a concern,” Mr. Langer said. But worries quickly dispersed, amid the apparently erratic behavior of the suspect – and the arrival of police and firefighters. 

After smashing his 2002 Toyota Corolla into the Hebrew Institute, the man tried to get into another car, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma, police said. But he appeared to have finally given up and was detained by police, officers and synagogue leaders said. 

“He tried to run, he came back... I don’t want to speculate what was in his head,”  Mr. Langer said. 

Police and firefighters showed up at the scene within a few minutes, he said said, adding: “They were great.” 

The suspect was charged with grand larceny auto, police said. Officers estimated the damage from the alleged theft of the phone, the smashed car and the attempted theft of another at $45,000. 

The damage to the synagogue’s column, whose metal casing was bent and dented following the incident, did not appear included in the equation. 

The Hebrew Institute has insurance to cover the cost of repairs, Mr. Langer said.