FORT LAUDERDALE - An
elderly Fort Lauderdale woman is upset following a decision
by the Broward County State Attorney’s Office not to press
charges against the condominium manager who, she claims,
attacked her and mouthed an antisemitic slur.
Speaking with 7News
alongside her husband Martin on Thursday, Martha Arnold said
she is afraid to return to her apartment at the Ocean Summit
condo on Galt Ocean Mile in Fort Lauderdale.
Martha said she hasn’t been gone since the March 16
incident.
The 71-year-old was using the residential elevator instead
of the freight elevator when the condo office manager
approached her.
“She lunged herself towards my neck, and she pushed me
forcefully, very hard, towards the elevator, smashed my head
in the back, smashed my back,” said Martha, “and at the same
time, she has her band on my [collar] here.” |
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The condo manager was
trying to tell Martha she couldn’t use the residential
elevator when things got out of hand.
The manager was not initially charged by Fort Lauderdale
Police, and the case was instead handed over the to the
Broward State Attorney’s Office, who just decided they’re
not going to move forward with the case.
“My wife was attacked in her home, without provocation and
overwhelming force,” said Martin. “If that is not criminal,
what is?”
According to a memo, the State Attorney’s Office said the
condo manager first tapped Martha on the shoulder to get her
attention because she was wearing headphones, going on to
say that Martha then pushed her.
“This woman is choking my wife, and we asked them, ‘You’re
telling us this is not criminal activity? This is not
battery?'” said Martin.
Martha called police, and that was when, the couple said,
the manager uttered an antisemitic slur.
“She put her two hands right her [next to her mouth], and
she says, ‘[Expletive] Jew,'” said Martha.
According to the State Attorney’s Office memo, there was a
“delay in reporting the hate crime [and] the lack of
surveillance to substantiate it.”
However, the Arnolds said, that’s not true at all.
“We believe that there’s a video — certainly in the lobby,
we know there is — and we believe there’s another one also
in the office, the manager’s office, where she uttered the
slur,” said Martin.
“There’s no justice in Broward for the elderly people and
for Jewish people,” said Martha.
The State Attorney’s Office determined the exchange between
Martha and the condo manager was “under 20 seconds,” and
“there were significant issues with this case,” going on to
say “the initial officer determined that this offense
involved mutual combat.”
Investigators with the State Attorney’s Office thought that
they would have a hard time winning this case in court, so
they didn’t pursue it.
“It’s astounding that they can look at these unprovoked,
violent acts against a 71-year-old woman, who weighs 50
pounds less than the perpetrator, and they would actually
look us in the eye, and the State Attorney says, ‘There’s no
crime here,'” said Martin. “It’s beyond comprehension.”
The State Attorney’s memo went on to say that there was also
a witness that corroborated the office manager’s account,
but the Arnolds said the office manager is the witness’
boss, so he is biased.
The couple said they are trying to figure out what their
next steps will be.