Two Frum children in Williamsburg are recovering from serious facial burns after a group of kids tossed a bottle with a dangerous combination of chemicals at them.
The victims were playing with their friends when the seemingly unprovoked attack took place on Sunday evening.
The group of kids were playing in a courtyard Sunday night when their parents say someone tossed the chemical concoction.
Two kids suffered first- and second-degree burns, and were transported by Hatzolah to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
Shomrim units (WSPU) canvassed the area along with the NYPD, but no suspects were caught.
The parents feel it could have been a lot worse, and spoke with WABC who posted the following:
“The kids are traumatized,” a victim’s mother, Hindi Frankle, said.
Pincos and Hindi Frankle spent a long night at Bellevue Hospital, then a good part of Monday at a specialist because of the burns around their son Yakov’s eye.
The 10-year-old’s emotional scars are even more painful than his physical burns.
Eyewitness News reporter Carolina Leid: “Does it feel as bad as it looks?”
Yakov: “Yes.”
Hindi: “It burns.”
Around 8 p.m. Sunday, Yakov was playing with a group of three or four kids outside their homes on South Eighth Street near Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg.
They say a group of 14 to 16 kids walked passed, and one launched a bottle at them.
“They were playing,” Hindi said. “A bottle spun and exploded in front of them. Everyone ran.”
Yakov and a 12-year-old girl were both rushed to the hospital for facial burns.
Parents say inside the bottle was a combination of common household items that make a so-called “Drano bomb.”
Police sources confirm finding a chemical agent inside the bottle, but do not believe the incident was a hate crime.
Yakov’s father say regardless, whoever did this needs to get caught before someone else is hurt seriously.
“We are very surprised,” Pincos said. “No one should throw a chemical device at children who are playing.”
The families are asking for more police presence in the area.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
6 Responses
Why doesn’t the police believe that it was a hate crime?
This is terrible.
I wonder if this is Hashem’s way of reiterating that it is unacceptable to throw chemicals at people regardless of what they are doing.
Were the assailants Jews or not? My guess is not, but the article doesn’t clearly say so. Any word anywhere on the background of the assailants?
If they are not Jewish, and especially if they belong to a population with which problems unfortunately exist (ie, Arabs or similar), then it would seem obvious to classify it as a hate crime.
I would like to help – my child had a burn – not as bad as this – but we are familiar with the healing process and may be able to provide some guidance. They are definitely not ready for this yet but any ideas how I can we can get in touch with these victims. In the mean time how about some names for tehillim. These things can be very serious. Can they be transferred to Staten Island Burn Unit?
to #3 : Not everything kids do is a hate crime… my 7 year old recently got into a little tiff with another boy at a pool over a ball. It wasn’t a hate crime, even though the children were of different races and religions.
Mandy: How can you compare a tiff between 2 seven year olds who were playing with each other with a vicious and premeditated attack against those chassidic kids. Where did the drano bombs come from. Do you think that there was a spontaneous overflow of love in the hearts of the juvenile perps and to prove it they ran to the nearest bodega and bought a ready made bomb? To promote peace, love, and eccumentism they decided to burn off the chaddic kids’ faces. That vicious attack was planned and prepared for.
Do you feel threatened by the idea that this was a hate crime? Is your world now a little unsettled? You should feel threatened. If your 7-year old were there (and he looked Jewish enough)it could have been him inhaling toxic fumes. What I also feel threatened by is Ray Kelley’s reluctance to EVER call an attack against a jew a hate crime. I guess we’re lucky he isn’t police commisioner of Washington DC.