Bergen chef facing sexual assault charges was beaten up in New York jail, lawyers say
A former Teaneck restaurateur jailed on sexual assault charges last week was attacked and injured by a fellow inmate at the Rikers Island jail in New York City, his attorneys said.
Shalom Yehudiel, 41, was arrested Aug. 8 at John F. Kennedy International Airport while attempting to fly to Bangkok on a one-way ticket, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said. A day later, the office filed charges against him for allegedly assaulting a minor in Bergen County.
The arrest came a day after a judge in Bergen County dismissed another set of sexual assault charges against the former chef because the FBI had failed to turn over a disputed video in the case.
In a motion to dismiss the new charges, filed Tuesday in state Superior Court, Yehudiel's lawyers said their client was attacked Friday at Rikers, where he has been held pending extradition to New Jersey.
"He cannot move his arm, and as of Sunday, August 13, was still throwing up blood," said the motion filed by attorneys Lee Vartan and Zach Intrater.
"Notwithstanding his family's and his counsel's best efforts, he was not taken for X-rays. Even with a note from a doctor, Yehudiel's jailers have refused him proper medical care. He is in the depths of a nightmare − one that was completely preventable, and which is completely unjust."
"He was attacked by another inmate, who broke his arm. He was refused appropriate medical treatment," Vartan told a reporter Wednesday morning.
The alleged attack was first reported by NJ.com.
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Yehudiel, of Fair Lawn, built a following after appearing in 2020 on the Food Network show "Chopped," where he was the competition's first kosher chef. But he has been dogged since then by sexual harassment claims. Under a cloud, he completed a sale last year of his two Teaneck restaurants, Humble Toast and La Cucina di Nava.
He has maintained his innocence in the sexual assault cases. Tuesday's motion noted that the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office declined to press charges in the second case against him, which allegedly involved a teenage victim in Fair Lawn.
The case is being handled by Union County because the accuser has sued the Bergen prosecutor over its decision not to pursue the charges, creating a conflict of interest.
Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sheets said in an email Wednesday that his office has "no specific information" to offer about Yehudiel's case or the alleged jail attack. A spokesperson for Rikers Island didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated a detail of the alleged attack. Yehudiel's attorney said he was attacked by one inmate at Rikers, not multiple inmates.
Staff Writer Kaitlyn Kanzler contributed to this article.
Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Chef Shalom Yehudiel attacked in New York jail after assault charges
