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Aron & Chany Altman Surrendered Themselves, Were Released Pending Further Court Date
By Tina Traster
A husband and wife who ran an unlicensed daycare center in New City have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor under New York State Penal Law.
The charges says the defendants knowingly placed a child’s physical, mental, or moral welfare at risk, or failed to exercise reasonable care to prevent harm. In New York, a Class A misdemeanor can result in up to a year in jail and/or a fine.
The pair surrendered themselves to authorities and were released on an appearance ticket pending further judicial proceedings. They were directed to return to court on a date to be determined.
Aron and Chany Altman of Pomona have been at the center of a high-profile quagmire that involved running a daycare center without state licensing or Town of Clarkstown permits at 86 and 96 Maple Avenue, a stone’s throw from the Town Hall and the Police Department.
A Judge on July 11 granted the Town of Clarkstown with a Temporary Retraining Order that will keep a child daycare center at 86 Maple Avenue shuttered for at least a month. However, the landlord also owns the adjacent building at 96 Maple Avenue, which houses a vape shop and tailor, both of which are allowed to continue operating at 86 Maple Avenue.
Clarkstown Police Chief Jeff Wanamaker issued the following statement: “The conditions uncovered at the daycare were deeply concerning and posed a direct threat to the safety and well-being of the children in their care.”
Morah Chany daycare was locked down two weeks ago by Rockland County Child Protective Services and the Clarkstown police after building and fire inspectors uncovered a raft of code violations.
Rockland County Supreme Court Justice Larry Schwartz, with the consent of both parties, and pending a final hearing, ordered defendants Congregation Morah Chany, and the LLCs that own the properties, “restrained from the use and occupancy of the premises located at 86 Maple Avenue, except as a house of worship in conformity with a Certificate of Occupancy, and 96 Maple Ave, except as two retail establishments.”
The House of Worship has an occupancy limit of 33 people.
Should Morah Chany decide to move forward to cure its violations and pursue a daycare center, it would need state licensing, a Special Permit from the town, and a raft of variances from the Clarkstown Zoning Board of Appeals.
The court also ordered the defendants to remove the U-Haul operation at 86 Maple in the front parking lot of the daycare center.
The town will continue to seek compliance and fines on a raft of building and fire code violations at Town Justice Court this week.
Town Supervisor George Hoehmann described the conditions as “egregious” and “dangerous” at a press conference two weeks ago, saying the daycare operator Morah Chany put the lives of 70 children “at severe risk.”
The Supervisor said the town is pursuing “civil, criminal, and administrative remedies,” adding that circumstances like these will not be tolerated.
“The conditions uncovered at this daycare were deeply troubling, and will not be tolerated in Clarkstown” said Supervisor George Hoehmann. “No family should have to worry about the care their child is receiving. We are grateful for the swift and coordinated efforts of our Code Enforcement Officers, Fire Inspectors, the R.C. Child Protective Services and the Juvenile Aid Detectives from the Clarkstown Police Department, whose thorough investigation led to the charges filed against the owners. Their dedication reflects the unwavering commitment of the Town of Clarkstown and its partner agencies to protecting our most vulnerable residents, our children.”
