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Elderly couple stabbed to death in Borough Park, Brooklyn; suspect in custody

Elderly couple stabbed to death in Brooklyn
Elderly couple stabbed to death in Brooklyn 02:05

NEW YORK -- A 46-year-old man was taken into custody Saturday after he allegedly stabbed a couple in their 70s to death in Brooklyn.

Police found Jacob and Rachel Sperber, both 75, with multiple stab wounds inside a residence on 45th Street in Borough Park on Saturday evening. 

Stunned neighbors gathered outside as word of a deadly act of violence on the couple spread. 

"I got scared. I got scared. I heard and I came very fast over here to see what's going on," said Ruhda Rosenberg.

The Sperbers were taken to Maimonides Medical Center by Hatzolah and were pronounced dead. 

"We all feel that it's a terrible tragedy that happened here. No words to describe. Very painful," another neighbor said.

Law enforcement flooded the street as the investigation continued. Negotiators were on the scene until the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

Police said the attack was domestic in nature, but did not describe the suspect's relationship to the couple.

2 people in their 70s stabbed to death in Brooklyn 02:02

A neighbor said the suspect is the couple's son. 

"A Jewish person killed his parents. This has nothing to do with us. Everyone is shook. Every human person is shook from such a story. No one stands for such a story," said Shmial Weiss.

Members from the tightknit community tried to make sense of the tragedy.

"We have a lot of mental health. We have a lot of, you can just go down the blocks and see we have a lot of help. But not everyone wants to be helped," Weiss said.

The suspect was rolled out of the building on a stretcher and had visible scratches on his head. It wasn't immediately clear what led to the double stabbing.

The investigation is ongoing.

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