7-year-old Boy, who had Scooter Stolen, Gets New One At 66th Precinct

By Yehudit Garmaise

      Simcha Rottenberg, the now 7-year-old Boro Park boy who had his e-scooter stolen last Wednesday, July 7, went to the 66th Precinct with his father today for a nice surprise: a brand new e-scooter, which is valued at $500, today, which happens to be his 7th birthday.

      The 66th Precinct, NYPD Community Affairs Inspector Richie Taylor, Yanky Meyer, the founder of Misaskim, Yonasan Schwartz, the owner of Toys 2 Discover, and Mike, a family friend from the Dunn Co. Safety, which trains OSHA workers, today pooled their resources to provide Simcha with a new scooter, after 35 other people offered to do so.

    When Rabbi Pinny Rottenberg, Simcha’s father first told him that they were going down to the 66th Precinct to receive a new e-scooter, at first Simcha did not want to go because he was a bit fearful.

     “But the officers were was so nice to him, he calmed down right away,” said Rabbi Rottenberg, who learns at the Vishnitz Kollel on 53rd Street and Utrecht Avenue.

     What did Simcha say after receiving his new e-scooter on his birthday, no less?

    “They are nice people to have me in mind,” said Simcha, who is the 12th child in a family of 15, k”ah, told his father.

     The e-scooter that Simcha had only been riding for a few minutes before he was pushed off of it by a stranger, actually belonged to his 13-year-old older brother, Moishe, who is now away at camp and has special needs, and “rode it wherever he has to go,” Rabbi Rottenberg said.

    The thief, thankfully, only pushed, and did not hurt Simcha, but the child, who was of course, frightened, spiked a high fever on Thursday and Friday after a dark-skinned man who was in his 20s or 30s stole his scooter and rode it away down 12th Avenue, near 36th Street, where the Rottenbergs live.

     Although the Rottenberg’s oldest daughter Rachel was watching Simcha last Wednesday night at 7:24pm, she never saw the perpetrator coming.

     “Rachel was a little distance away from Simcha because the scooter goes fast,” Rabbi Rottenberg said. “She looked up and just saw that the e-scooter was gone, not there.

     “My son, who was crying, ran back to her. The man, who had just asked Simcha, ‘Where is your mother?’ was already gone with it. He took off.”

      When asked whether Rabbi Rottenberg had any thoughts to say to Boro Park parents, he said, “Everyone should always keep an eye on the kids.

     “The neighborhood is not always so safe.”

     Although the NYPD is still looking for the perpetrator of a man who stole a scooter out from under a 6-year-old, Rabbi Rottenberg is not worried.

     “The Police Department  is on top of it, and Shomrim, who also came to us on Wednesday night to keep us calm, and are trying to help out,” Rabbi Rottenberg said. “His photo is everywhere. Somewhere he is going to come up."

     When BoroPark24 expressed regret for Simcha’s ordeal, Rabbi Rottenberg, merely said, “What can you do?"