To the editor:
A young man, a neighbor, lies in a hospital bed, restrained and watched, clinging to a blanket that was wrapped around him by a kind neighbor as he stood on his lawn last Wednesday evening, his house in flames behind him. I imagine that this blanket is a symbol to him that someone cares.
He grew up in this house with his two older brothers. They were all brilliant students. Their father was a Rutgers professor. He died and the youngest son inherited the house. Their mother moved to Chicago and Karl lived in the house alone with his only companion, his dog. He could be seen any time of the day, walking his dog, wearing large earmuff-size headphones listening to something or just shutting out the world. He has been a recluse, rarely speaking, at times striking out verbally at the neighbors and customers whose lawns he cared for. He had no regular employment.
In June, he stopped cutting lawns and became more withdrawn and apparently angry. He confronted and shouted accusations at neighbors to the point that they felt terrorized, afraid he could harm them, their properties or children or himself. The police were called one Sunday afternoon and the neighbors requested police intervention and psycholo- gical evaluation.
The officer who responded talked to him for a few minutes. Their loud conversation was overheard by the neighbors. Karl said he would harm himself before he would harm anyone else. The officer told the neighbors that he found the young man to be rational and did not feel police intervention was needed.
Not satisfied with this lack of action the neighbors requested and got a meeting with the community policing officer at the police station. His advice to these caring citizens was to call him and file incident reports each time an incident occurred. The neighbors were told that the house was put on a watch list and police would drive by a few times a day. The neighbors have spent many restless nights.
Then it happened last week. Karl set fire to his home. He’s charged with arson, his dog is dead and he’s in the hospital for now.
His charred, gutted home, the property ringed by yellow crime scene tape is a constant reminder that our community did nothing to help a troubled citizen who cried out for help. Some neighbors tried, but were unsuccessful in obtaining help. This tragedy could possibly have been averted. Maybe now he’ll get the help he needs.
Why didn’t we reach out to him?
Jane Snyder
Kendall Park

