An alleged killer accused of murdering four people in Brooklyn before slashing a commuter on an uptown No. 3 train was arraigned Wednesday via video feed from the psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital.
Appearing on his attempted murder and assault charges for the first time in Manhattan, an image of Maksim Gelman was transmitted to the courtroom. He has already been arraigned on murder charges in Brooklyn after allegedly murdering four people and injuring several others.
Gelman sported a scruffy beard and sat quietly with his head down, next to his lawyer as his charges were read. He was handcuffed and dressed in light blue hospital scrubs.
He was charged with trying to kill Lincoln Center employee Joseph Lozito at about 9 a.m. on Feb. 12 on an uptown No. 3 train between the West 34th Street and West 42nd Street stops.
“You’re going to die!” Gelman allegedly shouted at Lozito, moments before he was restrained by transit police.
Gelman said next to nothing during the arraignment, but thanked his Legal Aid attorney, Laura Stasior.
“Alright, alright, thank you,” Gelman answered softly as he was ushered away by court officers.
Authorities said Gelman, 23, stalked and then murdered 20-year-old Yulena Bluchenko in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He also allegedly killed her mother and his own stepfather, with whose car he allegedy mowed down Steve Tannenbaum, 60, who died shortly after at a nearby hosptial.
After the disturbing spree, prosecutors said he fled to Manhattan, apparently still armed with a kitchen knife.
Gelman is being charged separately in Brooklyn for murder. He was ordered held without bail again on Wednesday, which amounted to a formality because he was already denied bail in Kings County.
He will be arraigned on the still sealed indictment in Manhattan Supreme Court on March 15.
(Source: DNA Info)
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15 Responses
Why do we have to see a picture of this jackal?
His mugshot grosses me out.
Is it not forbidden to see the face of a rasha?
What happened to don lechaf zchus; can it be that he did tshuva already? Was there an HONEST effort by our community to take him into a genuine yeshiva when he was a child? From the stories I hear of Jewish kids not accepted to/thrown out of yeshivos, we should not be surprised with the outcome. I personally have encountered too many people in charge who don’t even have a hava amina of serving/teaching the Jewish kids – it’s all about serving their particular institution or their personal ego.
#4 – there is no Mitzvah of Limud Zechus for a Rasha.
#4 Thanks for demonstrating the Rambam’s great saying by being merciful to the cruel, after being cruel to the mercy-deserving-victim of the recent Jerusalem stabbing. Somehow you’ve managed to pervert Jewish values while presenting a strong Jewish identity.
#5 – What about the reshoim that run some schools, and don’t think twice what would happen to a Jewish kid they kick out/don’t accept?
Poshei Isroel are infinitely better than neviey umos hooilom.
1)Who said he is a Yid?
2) Expert(myfriend) don’t get excited.
#9
You are right, we don’t know if his mother is Jewish. His last name is Jewish though, his facial features are more Jewish too(I can usually tell a Russian goy from a yid). He definitely has at least a Jewish biological(if mom isn’t a Jew) father.
All of my don lchaf zchus of him is al menas that he is a yid – A DIAMOND COVERED BY SEWAGE IS STILL A DIAMOND. If he is not a yid according to halacha, my previous statements do not apply.
to #6
Chazal illustrates that point by the story of Shaul sparing Agag(goy) – being merciful to the cruel(goyim). Shaul destroying the Kohanim of Nov(yiden) – being cruel to the merciful(yiden). Dovid spared Shimi ben Geira(yid) that produced Mordechai; Agag(goy) produced Haman. Every yid is merciful by definition, even if he does not know it, even if covered by the dirt of secular culture. I am only trying to be merciful to the merciful.
#9,
I have not seen any reliable confirmation that he is a Yid.
#7,
That’s a reasonable defense for his being Mechallel Shabbos and eating Trief. It is no defense for being a violent serial killer.
#8,
Chasidei Umos Haolam have a Cheilek in Olam Habah.
to # 12
Please see #10
I’m not defending Gelman in post # 7, I am accusing the corrupt establishment that runs some of our schools.
Every Isroel has a Cheilek l’Olam Habo BY DEFAULT, while a goy has to work really hard just to be invited to our party. As horrible as murder is, it is not one of the aveiros that strips away Olam Habo from Isroel.
expert, I cannot for the life of me understand you. You say we should be dan li’kaf zchus a murderer who we do not even know is jewish, and then you blame this on the people who run the yeshivos (who are most definitely jewish, by the way) without any proof whatsoever?! Do you hear what you’re saying?! What happened to being dan li’kaf zchus the rabbunim and rebbitzens who put their time and energy into teaching our children Torah?! Do they not deserve more respect than a crazy murderer?!?!
#14
Please see #10
As far as “rabbunim and rebbitzens who put their time and energy into teaching our children Torah”, I have said nothing bad about them. I was talking about the establishment that infected some of our schools, using our institutions not for the goal of teaching Torah to every yid, but for the self-aggrandizement purposes. The test is simple: ask your school administrator what is his primary concern – is it teaching yiden Toah, or is it the prosperity of his institution. The nafka mina would be: kicking out a kid(that doesn’t have bad influence on others) to give the impression that the school is more “exclusive” / to make room for a rich kid.