Man With Five Prior Arrests Freed After Beating Rabbi in Brooklyn, Breaking His Shoulder
Eric Avrutov, 31, allegedly attacked a 66-year-old rabbi in Kensington, Brooklyn, and a second stranger minutes earlier — then was released by a judge in both cases.
Suspect Released After Random Attack on Brooklyn Rabbi and Gas Station Bystander
A Brooklyn man with five prior arrests was granted supervised release by a judge — twice — after allegedly assaulting a rabbi and a second stranger in back-to-back unprovoked attacks on the same evening, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office said Friday. NY Post Metro first reported the details of the releases.
Eric Avrutov, 31, allegedly punched a 66-year-old rabbi and placed him in a headlock on Dahill Road near Cortelyou Road in the Kensington neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint. The assault broke the victim's shoulder and left him deeply shaken, according to a member of his congregation.
Prosecutors requested that Avrutov be held on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. Judge Edward Daniels instead granted him supervised release.
Just minutes before the attack on the rabbi, Avrutov had allegedly struck a 60-year-old man on the side of the face while the victim was pumping gas at a Shell station on nearby Cortelyou Road, police said. In that case, prosecutors requested the same bail amount — and Judge Daniels again released Avrutov on supervision. The reasoning behind both decisions was not immediately made public.
Investigators determined the assault on the rabbi was an unprovoked attack on a stranger and was not motivated by hate, according to police.
Avrumi Herbst, a member of the rabbi's synagogue and a close personal confidant, described the toll of the attack in an email. "More than the physical injuries, he is struggling with the emotional trauma of the incident," Herbst wrote. "This morning, he was further distressed when the DA's office notified him that the suspect was released again."
Herbst added that the rabbi remained determined to continue officiating during the upcoming Sukkot holiday, despite his shoulder injury. "Nevertheless he is concerned for his personal safety and the safety of his neighbors and the casual release of the perpetrator just added to that," Herbst said.
The Wednesday assaults were not Avrutov's first encounters with law enforcement that week. Two days earlier, on Monday, he had allegedly punched a 23-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman in the face at random on Brighton Beach Avenue around 11:30 a.m. Judge Duane Frankson granted supervised release in that case as well — because the top charge, misdemeanor assault, was not bail-eligible under New York law, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.
The day before the Monday incident, on Sunday, Avrutov was arrested for allegedly appearing at his grandmother's Brooklyn home in violation of an order of protection issued in June, and was charged with criminal contempt. Prosecutors sought $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond; Frankson again released him on supervision.
Avrutov's prior record includes a gun possession arrest from 2024, one criminal trespass charge, and a separate violation of an order of protection, police said.
Source: NY Post Metro