The Sloatsburg Fire Department is calling on Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh to resign after his decision to accept the plea deal for the two rabbis who started the fire that killed Jared Lloyd and a nursing home resident.
In a statement, the fire department also said that neither the DA nor anybody from his office are welcome to any department or community event in the village.
Father and son Nathaniel and Aaron Sommer will
likely get probation, but no jail time. Investigators say they started the fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in Spring Valley while using a blowtorch to kosherize the kitchen. They were accused of turning off fire alarms at the time and leaving burning materials unattended, subsequently sparking the fire that killed Lloyd and a resident.
Part of the blistering statement includes the following:
"It is crystal clear that you do not act in the best interest of The People. You have betrayed members of our department and of the Rockland County Fire Service. Your incompetence has resulted in all six individuals you charged with being connected to this fire to now walk the streets free. They walk free while families are destroyed from the unnecessary deaths of their loved ones."
Volunteer Hose Company No. 2 of the West Haverstraw Fire Department joined Sloatsburg in calling for Walsh to resign.
"We have witnessed empty promises as every single individual charged in this case by your office had their cases dismissed, were NOT held accountable, and walked freely out of the courtroom back to their families, something that Jared Lloyd will never be able to do."