A man arrested in
connection with a car crash that killed a rabbinical college student, his
pregnant wife and their baby was charged Thursday with criminally negligent
homicide and other offenses.
Julio Acevedo was arraigned before a judge Thursday night in state Supreme Court in Brooklyn wearing a white T-Shirt, light blue hooded sweat shirt black sneakers. He was ordered held without bail.
Acevedo was also charged with three counts of assault and leaving the scene of an accident.
Acevedo's attorney, Kathleen Julian, said the charges were too severe and told reporters her client has been vilified by the media.
Judge Stephen Antignani granted an order of protection to a livery driver who was involved in the accident and suspended Acevedo's driver's license.
Acevedo had arrived in New York earlier Thursday after agreeing to be returned from Pennsylvania, where he had surrendered to police in the parking lot of a Bethlehem convenience store a day earlier.
Acevedo was accused of barreling down a Brooklyn street at 60 mph early Sunday and crashing into a hired car carrying Nachman and Raizy Glauber, who were on their way to a hospital.
The Glaubers, both 21, died Sunday. Their son, delivered by cesarean section, died Monday of extreme prematurity due to blunt-force injuries to his mother, who was seven months pregnant and was thrown from the hired car, the city medical examiner's office said.
The hired car that had been carrying them had a stop sign, though it's unclear whether the driver stopped. The driver was knocked unconscious.
At an appearance in Pennsylvania, Acevedo, 44, told Judge Kelly Banach that he had finished the 11th grade, was unemployed and lives in Brooklyn with his mother. He wore an orange jumpsuit and was shackled at the ankles and wrists.
His surrender was brokered by a friend who had been in touch with police earlier Wednesday. The friend met officers at New York's Grand Central Terminal and led them to Acevedo in Bethlehem, about 80 miles away, police said. The friend had told police that Acevedo would surrender after consulting an attorney, but there wasn't one with him when he turned himself in, police said.
Acevedo told the Daily News that he was fleeing a gunman who was trying to shoot at him when his borrowed BMW slammed into the Glaubers' hired car. He told the newspaper he fled because he was worried he would be killed. But police said there were no reports of shots fired in the area at the time of the wreck.
The couple belonged to a close-knit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. They were members of the Satmar Hasidic sect.
Nachman Glauber, whose family founded a line of clothing for Orthodox Jews, was studying at a rabbinical college. Raizy Glauber grew up in a prominent rabbinical family.
The couple's son was buried Monday near their graves, a community spokesman said. About a thousand community members turned out for the couple's funeral a day earlier.
"I hate this country and the laws here," Handler said. "When I first came here the laws were better. Now I hate the laws."
Gayle Dampf, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau at the Brooklyn Distict Attorney's office, said, "The charges are based on the evidence that we have. That's the maximum charge that the law supports."
Isaac Abraham, an unofficial spokesman for the Satmars, said he thinks Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes hit Acevedo only with charges that would "stick."
"The fact of the matter is that he (Acevedo) caused the death of three people, which is murder," said Abraham.
Inside Raizel's family's apartment, the men and women were separated by a screen. On one side, the men quietly consoled each other and picked at a plate of brownies.
Muffled sobs could be heard coming from the other side of the screen, where the women were gathered.
Raizel's brother, Joseph, said he was too distraught to think about what Acevedo should be charged with - but added he didn't blame Hynes.
"I'm sure they (the authorities) want him (Acevedo) off the street like we do," he said. "I can't be upset with the DA."
"A car is a weapon and this was murder, not an accident," added Raizel's uncle, Moses Silberstein. "It's possible that there was no malicious intent, but he was driving 60 miles an hour. That's not an accident."
By Daniel Beekman, Oren Yaniv And Corky Siemaszko / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Julio Acevedo was arraigned before a judge Thursday night in state Supreme Court in Brooklyn wearing a white T-Shirt, light blue hooded sweat shirt black sneakers. He was ordered held without bail.
Acevedo was also charged with three counts of assault and leaving the scene of an accident.
Acevedo's attorney, Kathleen Julian, said the charges were too severe and told reporters her client has been vilified by the media.
Judge Stephen Antignani granted an order of protection to a livery driver who was involved in the accident and suspended Acevedo's driver's license.
Acevedo had arrived in New York earlier Thursday after agreeing to be returned from Pennsylvania, where he had surrendered to police in the parking lot of a Bethlehem convenience store a day earlier.
Acevedo was accused of barreling down a Brooklyn street at 60 mph early Sunday and crashing into a hired car carrying Nachman and Raizy Glauber, who were on their way to a hospital.
The Glaubers, both 21, died Sunday. Their son, delivered by cesarean section, died Monday of extreme prematurity due to blunt-force injuries to his mother, who was seven months pregnant and was thrown from the hired car, the city medical examiner's office said.
The hired car that had been carrying them had a stop sign, though it's unclear whether the driver stopped. The driver was knocked unconscious.
At an appearance in Pennsylvania, Acevedo, 44, told Judge Kelly Banach that he had finished the 11th grade, was unemployed and lives in Brooklyn with his mother. He wore an orange jumpsuit and was shackled at the ankles and wrists.
His surrender was brokered by a friend who had been in touch with police earlier Wednesday. The friend met officers at New York's Grand Central Terminal and led them to Acevedo in Bethlehem, about 80 miles away, police said. The friend had told police that Acevedo would surrender after consulting an attorney, but there wasn't one with him when he turned himself in, police said.
Acevedo told the Daily News that he was fleeing a gunman who was trying to shoot at him when his borrowed BMW slammed into the Glaubers' hired car. He told the newspaper he fled because he was worried he would be killed. But police said there were no reports of shots fired in the area at the time of the wreck.
The couple belonged to a close-knit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. They were members of the Satmar Hasidic sect.
Nachman Glauber, whose family founded a line of clothing for Orthodox Jews, was studying at a rabbinical college. Raizy Glauber grew up in a prominent rabbinical family.
The couple's son was buried Monday near their graves, a community spokesman said. About a thousand community members turned out for the couple's funeral a day earlier.
_______________________
Satmars outraged that accused of killing couple and
their infant not facing three murder charges
They should have charged him with three murders.
That was the refrain Friday as supporters of a
young Hasidic couple who were killed with their baby in a Brooklyn car wreck
expressed outrage that the lowlife hit-and-run driver wasn't hit with harsher
charges.
Ex-con Julio (Wemo) Acevedo faces multiple counts
of leaving the scene of an accident, criminally negligent homicide,
third-degree assault, speeding and reckless driving - but not vehicular
manslaughter.
"This is an outrage," said Abe Friedman, a leader in the insular Satmar community. "The community and
everybody was demanding that he be charged with murder."
The fact the low-life was hit with lesser negligent
homicide charges was no consolation to those grieving for newlyweds Raizel and Nachman
Glauber - and their doomed infant son.
Judy Schwartz was furious as she emerged from the
Williamsburg apartment where Raizel's family was sitting shiva.
"We think it's very bad," said Schwartz.
"It's a shame. We want him to be charged with murder. His sentence should
be for life."
Abraham Handler, a close friend of Nachman Glauber,
was practically screaming as he vented his frustration on a legal system that
seemingly spared Acevedo from harsher prosecution.
"I hate this country and the laws here," Handler said. "When I first came here the laws were better. Now I hate the laws."
Gayle Dampf, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau at the Brooklyn Distict Attorney's office, said, "The charges are based on the evidence that we have. That's the maximum charge that the law supports."
Isaac Abraham, an unofficial spokesman for the Satmars, said he thinks Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes hit Acevedo only with charges that would "stick."
"The fact of the matter is that he (Acevedo) caused the death of three people, which is murder," said Abraham.
Inside Raizel's family's apartment, the men and women were separated by a screen. On one side, the men quietly consoled each other and picked at a plate of brownies.
Muffled sobs could be heard coming from the other side of the screen, where the women were gathered.
Raizel's brother, Joseph, said he was too distraught to think about what Acevedo should be charged with - but added he didn't blame Hynes.
"I'm sure they (the authorities) want him (Acevedo) off the street like we do," he said. "I can't be upset with the DA."
"A car is a weapon and this was murder, not an accident," added Raizel's uncle, Moses Silberstein. "It's possible that there was no malicious intent, but he was driving 60 miles an hour. That's not an accident."
Acevedo, a 44-year-old father of two whose rap
sheet includes a manslaughter conviction and a DWI arrest just last month,
faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the new charges.
Acevedo was extradited Thursday back to Brooklyn from Allentown, Pa., where he had holed up with a friend while preparing to surrender.
Acevedo was extradited Thursday back to Brooklyn from Allentown, Pa., where he had holed up with a friend while preparing to surrender.
His lawyer, Kathleen Julian, insisted it was an
accident, not murder.
Nachman Glauber and his seven-months-pregnant wife
were both 21. They were killed early Sunday when a speeding BMW driven by
Acevedo plowed into the livery cab taking the couple to a Brooklyn hospital,
cops said.
Their tiny son was delivered by C-section, bringing
bittersweet joy to the Satmar community. But the joy turned to despair Monday
morning when the baby died.
He was to be named Nachman, after his dad.
By Daniel Beekman, Oren Yaniv And Corky Siemaszko / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
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