With word circulating on social media that a twice-jailed man who was convicted of murder has been chatting up women in two Monsey area kosher supermarkets, Rockland County Executive Ed Day is warning people to contact the authorities to report any contact with the individual in question.
Robert Chambers, referred to in the media as the “Preppy Killer” and the “Central Park Strangler,” was reportedly spotted in Bingo and Evergreen Uptown, attempting to strike up conversations with female shoppers in both stores.
The 56 year old served 15 years on charges of manslaughter and burglary for the 1986 killing of 18 year old Jennifer Levin, whom he had been dating.
After being released on parole in 2003, he was convicted in 2008 on drug and assault charges, spending another 15 years behind bars before being paroled on July 25th.
The state placed Chambers at a halfway house located near New Square on Eckerson Road, which is approximately two miles from Bingo and five miles from Evergreen Uptown.
Pictures of a paroled Chambers began popping up on Facebook last week, alongside text that identified him as a “violent felony offender.”
County Executive Ed Day said that Chambers’ arrival in Rockland came as a complete surprise to local officials.
“The normal routine for someone being released from prison is to go back to his home roots not come into a new community,” Day told VIN News. “The fact that we were not even talked to is just really aggravating, to say the least.”
Day said that he had already spoken with the Ramapo Police Department about the reports he has received from those concerned about Chambers and that local officials consider the issue to be a high priority.
“What we are telling people to do is very simple,” said Day. “If he comes up to you, you are to call 911, or if you wish, the Ramapo PD directly. They are monitoring the situation and depending upon what actions he takes, there may be an ability for police to take a course of action. But we need the police to be notified when things happen so they can build a case.”
Rockland has already made official requests to transfer Chambers back to his home town of New York City. As a former police commander, Day noted that he is personally frustrated by having a parolee with no county connections in the area and turned to local residents for their help in getting Chambers reassigned to a new halfway house.
“He does not belong here and whatever we can do to get him out of here we are going to do, but we need the cooperation of the people,” said Day. “Anything he does that you feel is untoward towards you or anybody else, call the police and report it so we can document it.”