West Bronx Blog

Friday, May 23, 2008
Update: Missing Student Found, Reunited with Family

Yesterday afternoon, Selena Pruden, 16, a junior at Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music, was found and then later reunited with her family with help from police. She had been missing since last Wednesday, May 14 and was last seen going to school carrying her viola.

It’s unclear what exactly happened to Selena, but Celia Cruz Principal William Rodriguez said someone had spotted her after seeing a new item about her disappearance on the cable news channel, Bronx 12. He said later last night “police interceded” and now Selena is “safely home.”

Earlier yesterday, Celia Cruz held an emotional assembly in support of the search effort for Selena. Her mother Geraldine Hoggis attended the assembly and spoke to students. Her daughter, Selena, was found several hours later, according to Rodriguez.

West Bronx Blog.

Missing Student – Selena Pruden

We just found out about this today, but Selena, 16, went missing last Wednesday, May 14. She left her Kingsbridge-area home for Celia Cruz (on the Walton H.S. campus) in the morning with her viola and has not been seen since.

Celia Cruz Principal William Rodriguez said Selena was a great student (with a stellar attendance record) who loved music. He said nobody at school could imagine her just running away without telling anyone.

Celia Cruz held an assembly today in support of an effort to find Selena. They are distributing flyers like the one above to neighborhoods throughout the northwest Bronx.

NYPD is not being very forthcoming with information on the case so far, but according to a detective at the 50th Precinct, detectives there are still working on the case and have not transferred it to the missing persons department.

Again, if anyone has information about Selena’s whereabouts, please call Celia Cruz, 718-329-8550 ext. 3565 or the 50th Precinct 718-543-5700.

 

VIGILANTE SLAP

VIGILANTE SLAP
JEWISH GROUP ‘OUTSIDE THE LAW’: FOES
By PHILIP MESSING and CLEMENTE LISI

May 23, 2008 — An Orthodox Jewish vigilante group, under fire in Brooklyn after one of its members attacked a black man, uses “Soviet-style tactics” and continues to operate “outside the boundaries of the law,” critics said yesterday.

Shmira – which in Hebrew means “to protect” – has about 100 members who ride around Crown Heights in white and blue patrol cars that resemble NYPD vehicles.

The group, founded in 1968, has increasingly come under attack the last few weeks after one of its members, Yitzhak Shuchat, 25, allegedly attacked a 20-year-old black man with a stick on April 14.

Cops said Andrew Charles, the son of a police sergeant, was the victim of a bias attack.

Shuchat remains at large.

In a case some in the Jewish community claim was retaliation for the Charles assault, two black teens were busted yesterday for the brutal attack last Friday on Alon Sherman, 16.

Basean Parker, 14, was charged with assault and robbery for allegedly beating Sherman, then swiping his wallet, cellphone and bicycle. Cops said the attack was not a bias crime.

Namor Clarke, 16, was charged with robbery.

Investigators traced the stolen phone to Erickson Castillo, 29, who told cops he’d bought it from Parker.

Meanwhile, critics argue that Shmira is nothing but a gang.

In a recent interview with New York Jewish Week, Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes compared the group to the Bloods and Crips.

The blog “Who is Shmira” has put up postings from other Jews who claim the group uses “Soviet-style tactics.”

“My father was jailed in Russia by people like [Shmira] . . . and I am not afraid of you, not now and not ever,” read one message.

A police official who did not want to be identified said there were concerns that Shmira was “operating outside the boundaries of the law.”

“Sometimes, they are helpful,” the official said. “Most times, not.”

philip.messing@nypost.com

VIGILANTE SLAP – New York Post.