A mass prayer gathering was held Sunday at the Beth Medrash Govoha Jewish study hall in Lakewood, drawing thousands who came to pray on behalf of a yeshiva student currently being held in Ocean County Jail following his arrest last Thursday.
The student was taken into custody after a Hispanic teenager alleged that the student had attempted to lure him into his vehicle. According to individuals close to the student, the incident may have been a misunderstanding rooted in a language barrier, as the student reportedly has limited English skills and was attempting to hire a day laborer, a practice described as common in the area. The circumstances leading up to the arrest remain unclear.
The student’s attorney, Yosef Jacobovitch, criticized the actions of law enforcement, claiming that an effort to have his client’s account of the incident officially recorded was rebuffed. Jacobovitch alleged that a detective told him, “I will not let him muddy the water with his lies.”
In response to the arrest and continued detention, which is expected to last until a hearing on Tuesday, a group of supporters, including the deans of the study hall, held a demonstration outside the Lakewood Police Department on Saturday night.
A second protest was initially scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but community organizers reported that the Yeshiva deans later requested that it not take place, reportedly following meetings with local community leaders. Despite that, members of the student’s family have continued to call for participation in the planned demonstration.
Community leaders, including the deans, have also met with Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles, Assemblyman Avi Schnall, several township officials, and representatives from the police department, including Captain Steve Allaire, to discuss the situation. No formal statements have been released regarding the outcome of those discussions.
Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer has not made any public comments regarding the arrest or subsequent developments.